The Emma Smith Adventures Series 2
by CeriseHood5050
Summary: After training in Torchwood, Emma is setting out to London with her new team to expand Child's Torchwood.
1. An August Birth

I wet myself one night in August. "Oh," I realise. I feel something painful coming. I scream in agony. Mum runs through, flicking the light on, staring at me. She runs to my side. "Emma, come on, breathe with me, okay?" Mum starts breathing in and out, deeply. I copy her. "SARAH! The baby's coming!" Luke and Mummy run into my room. "Luke, call the hospital. Sarah, you'll need to drive us over there." Mummy runs off to get dressed and grab the car keys.

It's two thirty in the morning. Why does the end of my summer holidays result in becoming a mother? I guess that's what happens when you're going through puberty at the age of six and agree to sex with someone who can get you pregnant. There's no going back now- not that I'll want to.

The Doctor meets us at the hospital as Mummy signs me in. My room is 666 in the childrens' ward. The Doctor accompanies me into the room. Mum and Mummy are by my side. "You'll be okay," Mum smiles. "Childbirth has changed a lot since I was little, you're in good hands." I smile up at her, glad that my parents and my girlfriend are there with me. I would have liked my brother to be there as well, but I can't have everything. Besides, he's too young. Instead, he's staying at home, texting and calling everyone we know to let them know I'm having the baby.

One of the doctors checks on me a few minutes later as the contractions start to grow more intense and closer together. "All right, Emma, we need you to push on your next contraction."  
"Okay," I whisper, trying to hold in pain. My body is tense, tight. I feel like I can't breathe. When I feel more pain, I guess that this must be another contraction, my most painful one yet. I push as hard as I can, bringing into the world not one but TWO babies.

"A boy and a girl," the nurse says, handing them over to me. I look up at the Doctor, who has tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face. When the nurse leaves, Mum and Mummy smile, adoring their newborn grandchildren.  
"Have you got any names?" Mummy asks.  
"I was thinking Alistair for the boy," I explain. "I was hoping that the Doctor could come up with a girl's name."  
"I was thinking Jessica."  
"Jessica's a lovely name. We can call her Jessie for short."  
"That's a great idea," Mummy smiles.

As Jessica and Alistair are checked over by the doctors, I slowly change back into my regular clothes. I'll have a few weeks off my feet before I go to school.

When we get home, I realise how tired I am. However, motherhood will get in the way of me now as Jessica and Alistair start crying. I immediately take them inside into the nursery that the Doctor and Luke decorated. "We don't have two cribs," I realise.  
"Hey, I'll sort that," the Doctor smiles. "At least Jessica and Alistair are home."

I set them on the floor, surrounded by toys. I'm surprised that the twins can sit up already even though they were only born a few hours ago. "You were like that," Mum agrees when she watches us. "You could do things as a baby most new-born babies can't do for a few months, maybe even a year or so."  
"Mama," Jessica requests, her first word. Carefully, I pick her up.  
"Mama!" Alistair wails.  
"It's going to be a long day when I return to school," I realise. The twins already hold a special part of my heart. "Hey, Jessica, Alistair. There's no need to argue over me." I carefully put Jessica down, who crawls over to her brother.

"I thought you could use a hand," Luke offers, hovering by the door.  
"Thanks, Luke," I smile.  
"UNCLE LUKE!" The twins chorus.  
"How do they already recognise me?"  
"I don't know." Luke pulls out some baby clothes.  
"When I heard you had a boy and a girl, I thought you might want gender-neutral clothes." I nod in agreement, thanking him. We dress the twins, who patiently sit them, also doing their nappies as they smelt a bit.

"I couldn't wait to see the twins!" Rani squeals. The twins hide behind me. "Sorry, I'll try to be a bit calmer."  
"Jessica, Alistair, this is Rani, Clyde and Maria." Cautiously, the twins come out from hiding. I look around their room, smiling. The Doctor and Luke have outdone themselves- we all have. The place is painted a pale yellow so that it feels brighter than before- it was several cupboards before Mum and Mummy renovated it into a nursery. The furniture is white. The toys and books make a big difference.  
"I brought you a scrapbook," Rani holds it out to me. "It means you can look back on the twins."  
"Let's get a photo of the proud parents," Maria smiles, getting her camera out. The Doctor and I sit beside the children and smile at the camera.  
"Ah, it's so cute," Clyde smiles. "That has to go on the first page."  
"I'll get it on your computer now," Maria offers. I tell her that would be wonderful. I check the date- Friday 10th August 2007. I write it on the first page of the scrapbook. Maria runs up with the printed photograph, and we glue it down.  
"It looks perfect," the Doctor says. "The start of a brand new life, eh?" She pulls me and the twins into a hug.

I receive calls from Torchwood, Diane and Emma, congratulating me. I feel happy- my life already feels brighter.  
"Yeah, our boss' missing," Owen adds. Great. "He disappeared soon after you guys left."  
"And you didn't think to tell us because…?"  
"We didn't want you to worry. Gwen's in charge at the moment."  
"Good on her!" I laugh.


	2. Revenge of the Slitheen

"Now, you take care, okay?" Mummy asks us, parking outside the school.  
"Goodbye, Mummy," Luke and I smile.  
"Have a good day." Maria, Clyde and Rani join us.  
"I see the twins let you two go," Rani laughs. I nod, grinning. As Mummy drives off after we say our goodbyes, we head towards the new technology block. Luke says that there's an article about it in the papers. I never get the chance to read it, so Luke usually catches me up with what's going on in the world.

We settle into the hall. "I'm feeling very anxious," I whisper. "This is the first time I left the twins."  
"This is your first time going to school, and you're worried about the twins?" Rani asks. "Yeah, sounds like a mother." I look up at the teachers.  
"Hey, that's the Doctor!" I exclaim. "What's she doing here?"  
"Pass," Clyde replies. "Does she teach at a school?"  
"I don't think so." We all glance at each other, trying to work out what's going on.  
"Could something be wrong?" Maria asks. "Does she come when there's trouble?"  
"There could be," I agree.

"Good morning, everybody," the headmaster interrupts.  
"Good morning, Mr Blakeman," everyone except our group choruses.  
"Ooh!" Mr Blakeman farts. Everyone giggles. "What's funny? The wife gave me cabbage and bean tartlets last night. Another reason to despise Jamie Oliver." I notice that the Doctor looks worried. Her attention is not on the headmaster but me. "Right, assembly, ya-de-yah. Welcome back, everybody. It's a new year. I hope you all do well. Don't run in the courtyard; don't even think of wearing any makeup, and study hard because I guarantee that none of you are going to be pop stars."  
"What's his problem?" Clyde moans.  
"Could something have already wound him up?" Luke suggests.  
"I'll have to talk to Alistair later, he can read minds, so he might be able to pinpoint the problem."  
"Do you think Alistair can help us?" Maria asks me.  
"The twins haven't lied to us yet. They might not be 100% accurate, but we can't get much closer at the moment n."

Mr Blakeman goes on to explain the new technology block and will take us around in groups, starting with form 10B- our group. After the tour, Luke tells us about Lunchtime Science Club that he's signed up to. "That's great," Clyde smiles. "See if you can find any members there. I've joined the art club."  
"I didn't know you do art," I exclaim.  
"Well, I keep it quiet at the moment. Someday, the universe might be ready for my art." Rani, Maria and I will be walking around the playground at break time to try and encourage others to join. "I can design posters," Clyde offers.  
"We should do an experience day," I think out loud. "You know, show them what they can do."  
"Sounds great," Maria exclaims. "We'll need to sort out the warehouse, though."  
"Nearly a year of living in London and we forgot to get the warehouse prepared! We'll talk about it at lunch."

During woodwork, I realise that the person teaching us is the Doctor. "It will take me some time to learn all your names," she tells us. She changed her name to 'Miss Smith', but as I recognised her, the disguise didn't work so well. "Andrew Williams?" Andrew raises his hand. "Can you please sit here?" She points to the table at the front. "Emma Smith-White, George Smith and Rani Chandra, can you please join him?" We all sit at the table.

"Hi," Andrew shyly whispers.  
"Hi," George whispers back. "You lot new?"  
"Yeah," Rani and I agree. Andrew nods.  
"Are you okay?" I ask Andrew, concerned.  
"I never been to school before; I was homeschooled."  
"I've never been to school either," I agree. "This is a new experience for me." I look around the classroom as 'Miss Smith' places all of the students in their correct positions.

"So, the first day, new building, everything must be going well. Have you all had a good summer?" Some people in the class nod, some pretend to be bored. Some, I notice, are on their phones. "OI! Phones away in the classroom." The students guilty of this immediately put their phone away. "Be thankful that the headmaster didn't come in here or they would have been taken off you." She begins handing out exercise books. "I want you to keep these books in the best condition ever. No doodling in them, please." Most of them stare at their books as she hands them around. "I want you to put your names, year group and form tutor on the front cover. Your form tutor should be found on your timetable." We begin writing our details on the books. _This is a first_, I think. _How did the Doctor become my teacher? Is she even qualified?_

At lunchtime, we all sit in different places within the canteen to try and attract people to sit with us. "How's your day going?" Andrew asks as he and George sit with me.  
"Pretty good. What about you two?"  
"It's a bit boring," George admits. Andrew nods. I decide to leave the Child's Torchwood stuff until I know I can trust them. We are all about to eat our lunches when we realise they are mouldy. I dump mine and leave.

"Oi, freak!" a kid yells after me. "Genius, did you hear me?"  
"Get her!" Another kid yells. I turn to find several teenagers ganging up on me. I begin running towards the technology block. I don't know why, but I think about possibly finding somewhere to hide. I can't outrun them- they're bigger and faster than me. I dash out of the building, throwing my bag to the ground to make myself lighter. Still, they are catching up with me. I fly into the new technology block, into one of the classrooms, slamming the door, and hiding behind it. Yes, it's not one of the best hiding places, but it's going to have to do.

"Have any of you seen Emma?" Luke asks as he, Maria, Clyde and Rani walk out into the courtyard.  
"Luke!" Rani whispers. "Emma's bag!" She runs over to pick it up. "Why would she dump her stuff out here?"  
"Could she be in trouble. If she doesn't show-" Luke's voice begins to waver.  
"Luke, this is Emma we're talking about, she'll be fine."  
"Could she be in the technology block?" Maria asks.  
"Let's go and look," Luke smiles, leading the way.

I hold my breath as the gang passes by the classroom. "Where is the freak?"  
"Not here, boss. Let's go before a teacher catches us!" I hear school shoes pounding on the tiles outside as they move away.  
"Why were you hiding from them?" The Doctor asks. I haven't realised I have run into her classroom.  
"Th- they-"  
"It's okay; take your time. I'm here to help you. Why did they chase you?"  
"I don't know," I whisper. "They were calling me names. It must be because I'm a child genius." I begin to stand up.

"Whoa, Emma, where do you think you're going?"  
"I can't be late for the next lesson!"  
"Who's your teacher?"  
"Miss Taylor, she teaches art."  
"I'll give you a note to give to Miss Taylor; I'll sort that out now."

"Emma, can you give me an accurate description of these teenagers?" I stay silent. "Emma, if you don't tell me, I can't help you."  
"I don't know who they are!" I wail. "Please, you have to believe me."  
"Would you want to go home?" I nod. "Where's your bag?"  
"I dropped it outside," I whisper, miserable. I NEVER want to come back to school.  
"Okay, let's go and find it; come on." I hop down off my stool and follow the Doctor outside.

"Emma!" Luke calls as Rani passes my bag. "We were worried about you. What happened?"  
"I don't think Emma wants to talk about it right now," the Doctor explains. "I was going to take her to the reception so she could go home."  
"What's wrong?" Luke keeps his eyes on me.  
"Some kids chased me," I mumble.

When we reach the reception, I tell the receptionist my details, and she calls Mummy. When she turns up, the Doctor explains what happened. "We don't know who they are yet, but I'm going to talk to the headmaster about it today."  
"Thank you," Mummy smiles. "Come on, Emma, let's go home." I nod, slowly standing up. "Are you hurt?"  
"I'm okay," we walk out of the school.

That afternoon, the headmaster visits. None of us was expecting it at all. "I talked with Miss Smith today, and I am sorry that those boys treated you in this way. We'll expel them as soon as they are identified."  
"Expelled?" Mum asks, confused.  
"Park Vale Comprehensive has no tolerance for bullying; we have certain moral standards we want to uphold, which included treating people the way they want to be treated. As soon as these students are identified, I hope Emma will enjoy coming back into school."  
"Thank you, sir," I smile. Thank goodness that the headmaster is on board with this.  
"Emma, can I please talk to your parents alone?" I agree and shoo the twins out before leaving.

At dinner, Mummy reveals why the headmaster wanted to talk to them. "What did the headmaster want to talk to you about?" I ask.  
"It turns out the Headmaster's a Slitheen from Raxa, Raxa, what did he say it was?"  
"Raxacoricofallapatorius," Mum intervenes.  
"Thanks, Ru. Anyway, the Slitheen killed the headmaster, hid in his skin and originally thought about destroying Earth. He's changed since the term started- he's not sure how, so don't ask me- and wants our help. He doesn't think that the rest of his family will agree with him, but he will talk to them tonight." We finish our meal in silence.

The next morning, Luke and I walk to school with Maria, Clyde and Rani. "The headteacher's an alien?!" Clyde exclaims.  
"Not so loud!" I hiss. "He's on our side. He's talking to his family to see if any of them would change their minds."

"I've got science with Mr Jeffrey," Luke smiles. We look at our timetables, comparing them.

1st- Free  
2nd- Woodwork  
3rd- Gym  
4th- Science  
-Lunch-  
5th- English  
6th- Math  
7th- Art

"Hey, we've all got a free, science, English and Math at the same time." Clyde realises. "I'm in Emma's art."  
"So am I," Luke agrees. "Sorry, I'm not in your woodwork. What's your PE teacher like?"  
"She's okay," I reply. "How's yours?"  
"He's an idiot," Clyde whispers. "Always shouts at everyone." The bell goes. "Let's go and sit by the lockers."

When we find somewhere to sit, we begin talking again when George and Andrew from my woodwork class join us. "Hi," Rani smiles. "It's great to see you."  
"It's great to see you too," George smiles. I introduce George and Andrew to the others before another group of boys appear. Recognising them as the group who chased me yesterday, my breathing begins to pick up.  
"You okay, Emma?" Luke asks.  
"Look who it is!" One of the boys exclaims. "It's Genius and her cute group of friends." I glower up at them. "Oh, what is it? Cat's got your tongue?" They start laughing, and I realise that there's a girl with them- a girl who is far too old to be in secondary school. She's in her early twenties.

Carys Fletcher.

My blood runs cold. My head begins to grow lighter. I can't think. The world tilts.

"Emma, can you hear me?" A voice asks- a Yorkshire accent, I note. There's only one person I know with that accent.  
"Doctor?" My voice is hoarse. Why is that? How long have I been out for? "What happened?"  
"You fainted," she explains. Slowly, she helps me up. "Thank goodness Mr Blakeman was here- he got the bullies out, and they're all expelled."  
"One of them- one of them was-"  
"What is it, Emma?"  
"One of them was Carys," tears build up in my eyes. I hate this day. Why do I even have to come to school?  
"She's gone now," she smiles.

"Do you think you'll be up for lessons, Emma?" Mr Blakeman asks when I enter his office.  
"I'll see how I go, sir."  
"That's all we can ask of you," he agrees. "I guess your parents told you about… you know… the aliens?"  
"Yeah," I agree. "Your secret's safe with me."

When I arrive at woodwork, I quietly take my seat. I don't meet the Doctor's eyes when she glances my way. I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't want them to find out about Carys. In the gym, I keep my head down, keep working. In science, I take notes, not looking up at the teacher. I sit beside Luke and Clyde, with Rani and Maria on the same table. "You okay?" Clyde asks.  
"I'm fine," I mumble, glancing down at my notes.  
"Hey, have you heard about Miss Smith?" George asks.  
"No, what is it?" I ask, curious.  
"She has a girlfriend, and no one knows who she is."  
"Oh," I say, looking back down at my work. Of course, the Doctor would be in love with someone else.  
"I hear talking!" Mr Jeffrey calls, angrily looking up at the class. Clyde pinches a chip from his sandwich.  
"I heard that she once dated a six-year-old," Andrew agrees. "They still see each other."

"What are you doing?" The teacher approaches Clyde.  
"My pen's run out; I'm getting a new one."  
"Let me see that," Mr Jeffrey grabs some utensils, grabbing the bag with them before sniffing it. He looks scared. "What is it?"  
"Cold chip sandwich, made it this morning. I'm not chancing my life in the Canteen of Death." Mr Jeffrey chucks Clyde's lunch in a vivarium where stick insects are kept. Maybe he's going to inspect Clyde's lunch to see what it will do. I chuckle at the thought. Clyde grins back after the teacher tells him off. "What are you thinking about?"  
"I thought that the teacher might inspect your lunch to see what it will do." Clyde laughs with me. It feels good to laugh. The bell rings to announce that it is lunchtime.

Luke doesn't join us, but George and Andrew do. We are sitting outside the technology block with our lunches. "You okay?" Andrew asks. I nod, smiling. Maria's phone starts ringing, so she moves off to the side to take it after she reveals that Mummy is calling her.  
"Emma? Miss Smith's looking at you funny."  
"Well, don't look!" I glance over to find that she is. I turn away.

After Art with Clyde in the afternoon, I meet up with Rani, Maria and Luke. Maria explains that Mummy called her and wants us to investigate the technology block. Andrew and George join us, talking like they are part of the group, even though they are not. We head inside the technology block, trying to deter Andrew and George from joining us. "We're coming with you," Andrew says, determined. "We should split into two groups; one searches upstairs, the other downstairs."  
"Excuse me?" Clyde asks. "Emma is in charge here. She has more experience than the rest of us put together."  
"All right, Emma, what should we do?"  
"Any other ideas?" I ask.  
"I made a terrible mistake," Luke whispers, his face turning pale. "I made a huge social mistake at lunchtime. I told the Slitheen how to destroy the world."  
"I'll call Mr Smith about the Slitheen. We need to have a plan before we go in there." I get my phone out.

"Need a hand?" the Doctor asks. She's holding several squeezes filled with-  
"Is that vinegar?" George questions. She nods. We all take a bottle from her. "Anyone who is investigating upstairs, head up. I'll take the others." We split into two groups. Rani, Clyde and George head upstairs while Maria, Luke, Andrew and I follow the Doctor.

We run throughout the building, hoping that the other group is safe. We run into one of the Slitheen. I aim my bottle of vinegar. "Get off this planet!" The Slitheen- our science teacher- advances. We spray the vinegar, and he backs off.  
"Go!" The Doctor exclaims. "We can use my sonic to disable the equipment."  
"I'll keep us covered here!" Andrew calls from where he is standing with Maria. Luke follows us into the secret room before stopping.

"What is it?" The Doctor asks, concerned.  
"I helped them to destroy the world; I'm so sorry."  
"What is there to be sorry about? We're going to rectify it."  
"I don't feel well."  
"You can go back to the others and stop the teacher from getting through if you like, or you can come with us. It's your choice."  
"I'll go back." Luke turns away. "Oh, by the way, are you dating my sister?"  
"We haven't made it official," I explain.  
"Right." Luke walks away.

A child Slitheen is in there, along with the Headmaster. "Why are the others not relenting, Uncle?" The child asks.  
"I'm sorry, Karl. I wish they had the same attitude as us. If we shut this off, the equation will fail. It will shut the whole system off."  
"Let's do it!"  
"Do you need a hand?" The Doctor asks. The headmaster nods, and she sonics the capacitor. "It's going to blow, everyone out!" We help the Slitheen out before running out ourselves.

"Right, remind me to never get on your bad side, Luke," Maria laughs.  
"What's going on?" I ask.  
"Luke's turned into a demon in front of us before killing the Slitheen," Clyde explains.  
"Yeah, human-Qetesh hybrids do that," the Doctor agrees. Both Luke and I stare at her, stunned.  
"And you didn't think to tell us?" I ask.  
"It never came up!" We head out of the block when the other group joins us.

"What happened to Dad?" Karl asks.  
"I'm sorry, but we had no choice but to kill him. He was going to destroy the planet," Maria explains, gently. "If there were another way around it, we would have spared him." Karl looks very sad as he closes his eyes.

Luke calls our parents as we walk back. The Doctor is continuing on her travels now so she can visit me at various points in my life. "The system can't work now," Andrew smiles.  
"Of course, there will be strange alien machinery all over the world," George agrees. "Do you do this all the time?"  
"Yeah," I smile.  
"Are you an official group?"  
"Kind of," Clyde admits. "Emma's our leader."  
"Cool!" George and Andrew chorus. We stop outside my home. Karl stares up at the house in awe, saying nothing. It's not that I'm expecting him to- he has suffered a lot today.

"So, what now? Do we go home and forget all about it?" Andrew asks.  
"We're not expecting you to," Rani says. "All of this stuff, it can never go ignored, and you're part of this now, right, Emma?"  
"Yeah," I automatically agree. "We're working on something to help defend Earth against alien threats, and I want you two to be part of it."  
"What is it?"  
"Come with me; come on." We take the Tube to Chiswick, and I show them the warehouse.

"It is the most highly protected building on Earth," Clyde explains as I scan my card, say my name and allow the system to analyse my iris and hand print. "The facility, like the MI5 building, is designed to withstand against chemical and biological attack. When it comes down to it, this is the safest building this world has to offer." I open the door, holding it open for everyone.

"Wow!" George exclaims as they enter for the first time. I smile as I look around the warehouse. In the end, we decided to use the first building for new members to sign up and train without any distractions. After a few minutes, Mum calls me to let me know that the twins are beginning to freak out as I haven't returned home yet. I tell them where I am going and head home.


	3. Eye of the Gorgon

One morning, Mummy drives off to Lavender Lawns with Luke and Clyde to investigate apparent hauntings of a nun. We all have our opinions on this, and very few of us are willing to tempt fate and say that it could be an actual ghost. I head over to the warehouse to meet Andrew and George to show them how to train if they want to be in Child's Torchwood. I don't know how much the others went through with them, so I have to ask. They have only signed in, and Rani gave them a tour around the buildings that make up the London base.

I lead them to the main training room. "You will have to learn how to use your body within combat as you can't always rely on your guns to work. If you have no idea what weapons you can make using the supplies around you or how to fight, the alien will win. We can't always rely on technology." I lead the boys to a punching bag and teach them simple punches and kicks before I am called back home by my children.

I am about to leave when Maria runs in and begins punching one of the punch bags we have hanging down from the ceiling. I let her carry on for a few minutes before approaching her. "Is everything okay at home?" I ask, gently.  
"Can I talk to you, Emma? In private?"  
"Of course." I lead Maria to my office, and we sit down. "What's the problem?"

"Mum's back. She said it would be like old times; you know before I joined Child's Torchwood. She came into my room while I was doing maths homework, and she started ranting about this, saying how it's weird how much time I spend with you guys. She wants me to stop coming and seek counselling. But, I don't want to leave. I've had the time of my life here. Some bits, like the cannibals, were scary, but everyone needs a healthy dose of fear. Everything else, I could deal with, I saw you take it all in your stride despite how young you are, and I decided that I would want to be able to do that someday. On the other hand, Mum is trying to force me to leave everything and everyone I care about. I know that she and Dad are divorced and she is not my primary carer, but she's still trying to control my life, and I hate her for that. She wants Dad and me to move out of the country."  
"What?"  
"I know, but I keep telling her that I can't as I have too many ties here and too much to give up. She's not relenting and is trying to make us move anywhere she can think of that will give me the best chance. I told her I didn't want to leave, I kept telling her that, but she wouldn't listen. Please, Emma, you have to help me."  
"I don't know what I will say, Maria."  
"Tell her about the wonder of the universe, why we have to fight to protect it."  
"Would your mum see it that way?"  
"I guess not. You need to do everything in your power to keep me in Child's Torchwood."  
"I think I know what will cheer you up," I smile. I sit at my desk, pulling out some documents. "These documents authorise any member who possesses these to create a Child's Torchwood wherever they live. I am giving these to you so wherever you go, Child's Torchwood will go with you."  
"Thank you, Emma," Maria smiles. She hugs me, and I hug her back.

We return home so I can comfort my children and let them know that I have not been kidnapped or killed by a passing alien. It turns out while at Lavender Lawns, one of the women gave Luke a Talisman that unlocks the door to the Gorgon's world- not that Luke knew that last bit, Jessica had to fill us in. She can see the future, and it comes in handy sometimes. Jessica hasn't been able to focus on it yet and is unable to see things that she wants. She came across the bit about the Gorgon while she was trying to focus on when the Doctor will next arrive.

Mum destroys the Talisman, leaving the Gorgon on our world. "Do you know where it is?" Luke asks, and Jessica closes her eyes.  
"She's at an abbey of sorts; I can't place it."  
"Well, there can't be many abbeys near Lavender Lawns. We'll start there," Mummy smiles.  
"Agnes! St Agnes Abbey!"  
"Thanks, Jessica!" Mummy begins to head out of the door.  
"Wait, Child's Torchwood, you need to kill it."  
"How can you kill a Gorgon? If you look at it, it will kill you."  
"We wait for it to come here. We can corner it then. Have your guns hidden about your person." Maria, Clyde, Rani and I take our guns and hide them.

"Where's George and Andrew?" Clyde asks.  
"They've gone home," Maria sighs, glancing down at her hands. Several of her knuckles have split after her punching earlier. The doorbell rings before anyone can ask about it. Luke answers it to find a few nuns- with the Gorgon. They invite themselves in and settle down in the living room. They are still there when we arrive. The Nuns demand us to give them the Talisman.  
"Ruby destroyed it," Jessica snaps. "You're never going to bring the Gorgons here. Get ready!" Luke, Clyde, Rani, Maria and I get our guns ready and load them.  
"Last warning," I say. "Leave the house and take your Gorgon with you, or we will shoot."  
"You wouldn't dare!" The nun hisses. We open fire before the Gorgon can reveal its face. It topples over backwards, dead. The nuns look around, shocked. They don't know what happened. We help them back to the abbey before returning home.

"All in a day's work?" Rani asks, sighing.  
"Yeah," I agree, lightly. I begin to wonder what to do when Jessica and Alistair start crying. Suddenly, I am thrust back into motherhood, not that I mind. Both Jessica and Alistair get on well, there are no worries there. I have grown attached to both of them. I want to be the best mother possible to them, even if it means I sometimes fall behind on Child's Torchwood or schoolwork, but I would try to keep on top of it.


	4. Warriors of Kudlak

It is a Saturday morning in October, and I am woken up by the twins after they had a nightmare. Luke, Maria and Rani are in town. Clyde is, I think he is helping his Mum. After the incident with the cannibals, they have grown closer. Carla is the only family Clyde has left. Andrew and George have not appeared for a few days, and I'm starting to become worried about them. I visited their parents yesterday, and I still can't find anything linking their disappearances. They were due to go to the park to meet their friends, Lance and Brandon, only they never arrived. Lance disappeared along with them.

It doesn't seem like either Andrew or George to disappear without telling anyone, and I grow concerned as to their wellbeing and whereabouts. Their parents are worried that someone kidnapped them. I try to reassure them that the boys are fine, but I think that I wasn't even able to comfort myself. I head out to meet Brandon to ask him what happened. "These clouds came up the hill, and then it just poured on me," Brandon explains when talking about the storm. "I thought it put them off from meeting me." I call Mummy to tell her what Brandon told me, and she agreed to investigate it. I stay at home with Jessica and Alistair.

When Mummy and Maria return with the entanglement shells, we realise that we are up against aliens. "Emma, would you be all right staying here with the twins while Maria and I investigate more?"  
"Of course," I smile. Maria realises that she recognises the place that she and Luke passed earlier that day, Combat 3000. They head out to investigate.

I am talking to Clyde on the phone and tell him about how the investigation is going- or I am trying to, but I can't connect to his phone. Brilliant. "You won't be able to get through to him," a familiar Yorkshire voice tells me.  
"How would you know, eh?" I ask, turning to face the Doctor.  
"He and Luke are at Combat 3000. It's run by an alien."  
"Right, okay. How do we get Luke and Clyde back?"  
"We go to them as soon as the others get back!"  
"Can't we go now?"  
"Very well. Jessica, Alistair, you're coming with us." We run into the TARDIS before the Doctor sets the coordinates.

"Right, here we go," the Doctor opens the TARDIS door into some holding cell with crates scattered around.  
"Where do we start?" Jessica asks. Alistair points to one of them, and the twins hurry off in one direction. The Doctor and I open one of the other crates to reveal Luke and Clyde. "Emma, what are you doing here?" Clyde asks.  
"Well, do you have any idea about what's going on?" I ask.  
"No. Do you have any theories?"  
"An alien has brought you here along with several other children."  
"More like multiple aliens."

"Hey, Emma," Andrew smiles. He and George join us.  
"We were going out of our minds worrying about you!" Luke exclaims. "Thank goodness you're all right." We begin helping everyone out and working out what happened. We hear sudden beeping and hide. One of the guards comes back and opens one of the crates, peering inside. The Doctor sneaks up behind him, pushing him in and locking the container.

"Right, let's go!" Clyde yells as we dart out of the door.  
"No, wait! We can use the TARDIS!" I exclaim, running over to it.  
"How can we all fit in that box at the same time?" Andrew asks.  
"You better start believing," The Doctor pushes the door open.

Inside, the time rota looks like part of a crystal, as do the objects surrounding it. The walls are made of hexagons, some of which can act as a screen, which the Doctor later told me. She begins piloting the ship, and we soon land. Everyone is still staring around in shock, mesmerised at how the police box can be bigger on the inside. "How did you do this?" Luke asks.  
"I didn't do it!" The Doctor says. "I stole it, or it stole me. You can pick whichever you like."  
"Okay."  
"It's bigger on the inside," Andrew breathes.  
"Right, on the other side of those doors, should be home."

"That's one way to put it," George agrees, staring out of the doors. We join him.  
"I never thought it would be so beautiful," Luke breathes.  
"Maybe if everyone could see the Earth like this they would appreciate it more," I agree. We _are_ home, so to speak. We are above the planet. We all stand there in silence, appreciating the moment.  
"Right, home?" The Doctor asks. No one responds. "Or not. Guys, you have to go home at some point. As much as we would all like to stare at Earth forever, we still need to get you lot home."

The children begin talking again as soon as the doors close. I tell them about Child's Torchwood, and they ask if they can join. Luke and Clyde nod, with the Doctor offering me a pad and pen. I take down their names and contact details as well as how they can log into the systems. "We will be setting up areas for Child's Torchwood as soon as possible. So far, we are restricted to London and Cardiff, but we are thinking of expanding." The children are begging us to expand.  
"I have a few friends in America who might be interested in joining," one of the boys agrees.  
"Let's focus on the UK first," Clyde says. I agree.

"We can't!" Jessica almost screams. Everyone turns to her. "Aliens are coming that will want to take all children on Earth. We have to expand into all countries if we want to succeed."  
"Right, I'll contact the Queen at once," I agree. I call her and let her know what Jessica found. Alarmed, the Queen agrees and authorises Child's Torchwood to expand not only in the UK but also into other countries. I tell them to keep alert for aliens.  
"Have you started setting up alien files?" The Doctor asks.  
"No."  
"You'd better. If you don't, no one will know how to defeat any of the aliens you fought."  
"You're right." We land in a room with an image of an alien.

"Right, straight to the point," the Doctor exclaims. "What are you?"  
"I am Uvodni. Who are you?"  
"I am the Doctor, sorting out fair play across the universe. I will only ask you once. Leave this planet and its inhabitants alone, or I will come after you and destroy you."  
"You are not a woman of violence, Doctor."  
"Oh, yeah? Look up the word genocide; you'll find a little picture of me there. I killed my people and the Daleks, so if you dare take me as not being a woman of violence, you will regret saying it the day I hunt you down. Now, release all of the children you have taken from Earth!"  
"And if we don't? What? More intruders?"  
"Luke!" Mummy cries, pulling him into a hug.  
"The war is over," Luke presents Clyde's phone. He had wired it into a computer when we weren't noticing and downloaded a video of the Uvodni leader. Luke plays it for Kudlak, the alien who kidnapped children to serve on the front line. He seems confused, before realising that the Mistress, the computer he was serving, lied to him. He aims his gun. We duck.

Kudlak turns to us again as soon as the computer is destroyed. He says that everyone is free to leave and his life is ours to take. "Taking life is never the answer," I explain to him. "It's always the innocent people who suffer."  
"I am not an innocent person. Maybe I can find some of those that were and still survive. I can return them and find peace for myself someday."  
"You'll always be welcome to Child's Torchwood," I tell him. "We're going to need all the help we can get over the next few years."  
"What do you know of the 456?"  
"The what?"  
"They came to Earth in 1965, demanding children. They will come back, mark my words. I will spread your call for help across the galaxy, sending anyone who is willing to help you. What is your name?"  
"Emma Smith-White."  
"Well, Emma, it will be an honour working with you." He puts his gun away and allows us to leave.

"What are the 456?" Maria asks Mr Smith when we return thanks to the Doctor.  
"The 456 are an alien entity that came to Earth in 1965. They have taken children, claiming that they will live in paradise. If humanity gives them twelve children, they will offer them an antidote of a new strain of Indonesian Flu."  
"1965? Ruby, do you know anything about what happened?"  
"Not much. I had a friend in a care home in Scotland, Clement McDonald. He lived at Holly Tree Lodge and was supposed to move in November with eleven other children. I don't think they ever made it. I didn't hear from him again until recently, saying that there's an 'Uncle Jack' haunting his dreams. He was able to draw him and sent the image."  
"Well, let's see," I exclaim. Mum hands the drawing to me. I stare in shock. "It can't be!"  
"That's our boss, Jack!" Luke exclaims.  
"But what was he doing in 1965?" Clyde asks. "We should ask him."  
"Other than the fact he is missing!"

"What happened with the Doctor? Done another runner?" Mummy asks.  
"Well, she's never usually one for sticking around," I agree. "She'll be back, though. She always comes back, at some point."  
"And the 456?" Rani asks. "What do we do about them?"  
"We'll need as much information as we can get," I explain. "Mr Smith, keep searching for anything you can get on the 456 and send it to me so we can sort through it." Mr Smith agrees, before announcing that more Child's Torchwood are set up in places that had a Combat 3000.  
"It's a good start," Maria smiles.  
"We'll need many more before they come. Jessica, can you give us an exact date?"  
"About late June, early July 2009."  
"We need to act, fast."


	5. Whatever happened to Sarah Jane?

After school on Friday, we all meet up at the skate park. Clyde is showing Andrew and George his skateboarding, claiming that if they want to ace Child's Torchwood, they need to get balance and coordination. Somehow, I think Clyde wants to fit skateboarding in training somewhere. Maria starts taking pictures soon after Alan arrives and starts skateboarding. We leave shortly afterward. Rani, Maria, Luke, Jessica, Alistair and I head up to the attic while Clyde heads home. I call Mr Smith out, who obliges with the utmost respect. "Report the position of Meteor K67 please."  
"Meteor K67," Mr Smith says. "Ascension of 20 hours, 13 minutes and 42 seconds. Declination of minus 22 degrees, V magnitude brightening from 11 to 3.3 with a sky motion of 11.3 degrees."  
"It's heading straight for a blind spot," Luke notices. "The authorities won't be able to detect it."  
"If it hits us, bang, end of the world," I say.  
"You're very calm about this!" Maria exclaims as the Doctor turns up.  
"No need to worry," the Doctor smiles. "When it's in range, Mr Smith will create a magnetic pulse and bounce the meteor back out into space. All in a day's work."  
"Mr Smith, how long do we have?" Alistair asks.  
"It will be in range at 2:45 p.m. tomorrow," Jessica replies. "All of the systems are already prepared."  
"Thanks, Jessica," Luke grins. "Sometimes it pays to have a niece that can see the future."

"I'm still trying to work out why Human-Qetesh-Time Lord hybrids still always have powers, and Human-Qetesh hybrids sometimes don't," the Doctor says.  
"Well, what's your theory?" Maria asks.  
"I don't have one yet; I'm still looking into it." Maria and Luke head downstairs so they can put the tea on. Jessica and Alistair go to their room for a nap, Rani accompanying them. Now, only the Doctor and I are in the attic.

"I was going to try and ask the others to do some bits downstairs," I say.  
"Why?"  
"I wanted a word in private." The Doctor nods as I head over to my desk. It is covered in alien artifacts, loose papers and documents that I need to file away. One folder is labeled 'Classified,' my work for Child's Torchwood. My books cover nearly every available space. I should organize myself since I am doing my GCSEs before I find what I am looking for, a puzzle box given to me by the Verron Soothsayer we helped fly home the other week. I give it to the Doctor, saying that he said to give it to the person I trust the most. "Mr Smith says that it's a puzzle box," I explain. When we finish talking, the Doctor heads down to talk to Mum and Mummy to see if she can stay for the night.

The next morning, I tell Clyde to call Jack, we need him to check out a meteor that fell to Earth and what happened last time, I would not be surprised that the meteorite is containing a sex gas- the very thing I would like to avoid, thank you very much. I head down to the cellar of Child's Torchwood to check on our prisoner who I helped to save from the sex gas the last time I encountered it.

"Emma," the Doctor whispers. "Please, let me go."  
"What makes you think I will do that?" She is bound up in chains; I can't risk her getting out into society yet.  
"Emma, you need to listen to me. You love me, don't you?"  
"What makes you think I do? I saved your life, and that is it." I hold up her sonic that I had in my pocket. "You can't go anywhere without this and your TARDIS, the latter of which is held in our secure archives."  
"Please, Emma, the meteor. It's heading for Earth."  
"There isn't a meteor coming. You keep on pulling off these tricks so we can let you free, well, that's not happening any time soon." I turn and leave the room.

"Well, how is she?" Luke asks me.  
"Mad. The Doctor thinks that she's in love with me and that there's a meteor heading for Earth."  
"Maybe we should listen to her. I mean, she hasn't been wrong so far."  
"All right," I agree. "However, we take precautions. We'll let her out this afternoon." Luke nods as we head our separate ways so we can continue working.

I head back down to the cellar at lunchtime. While I hate the Doctor, I still feel some sort of connection with her. We both were affected by the sex gas- she was the host, I fell pregnant. "What happened to Jessica and Alistair?" The Doctor hasn't touched her food.  
"Who?"  
"Your- our- children. Where are they?"  
"Doctor, Owen forced me to have an abortion," I whisper. "I protested, but Jack and the rest of Torchwood ignored me and did it anyway." The Doctor is crying, her head in her hands. I sit beside her and pull her into a hug. I pull her sonic out and release her.  
"Something is wrong here, Emma. I'm going to fix it in any way possible. However, we need to go to Thirteen Bannerman Road." I nod and get the London team together before we set up. When we arrive, we stun the owners before running up to the attic.

"When the universe changed, I was protected," the Doctor explains when we look around the empty attic. "Something, someone- the Trickster! The Trickster has the power to alter timelines, so your parents died! That's what changed!"  
"They died when we met the cannibals, they lived and never got caught, even though Emma called the police," Maria points out. I look at my feet, sadly. I couldn't even save the people I loved — all of those innocent lives lost for no cause other than pure horror.  
"We need a supercomputer," Luke sighs. I bring myself back to the present rather than focusing on the past. "How can we get one here?"  
"I don't know," the Doctor sighs. "Something changed last night. If only I can remember what." She groans in annoyance. "If we don't hurry up, the meteor will smash into us."  
"Who was on our team when we faced the cannibals other than our parents?" Luke asks.  
"No one," I say. "Luke-"  
"Suzie, she's in the Torchwood team and she's not meant to be," the Doctor says. "She was meant to forget, but she didn't."  
"But she's a narcissistic killer," I hiss. "We can't trust her."  
"Then we force her to listen. Do you have a teleportation device?"  
"I have the bracelet Mum left me."  
"Come on, everyone. Let's go to Torchwood."

We confront Suzie as soon as we arrive, demanding to know what happened and the Doctor tells her about the meteor. Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh, and Ianto are standing there. "I never did anything!" Suzie begs. I snarl in response. "Okay, I made a deal with this creature allowing me to remember everything."  
"You are ruining everything!" Tosh wails. "You killed their parents!"  
"How do we get them back?! The earth is at stake."  
"I don't know," Suzie whispers, tears slipping down her cheeks.  
"How could I have had sex with that monster?" Owen mutters, darkly. We all stare at Suzie.  
"You can change this, Suzie," I whisper. "You can save everyone on this planet. Right now, you are the most important woman alive." Suzie smiles a little.  
"When I retract my deal, come and find me, Emma. I don't want to be a bad woman. Employ me, if you can." I nod, silently. "Trickster!" A figure clothed in black appears behind her. Suzie turns to him. "I don't want your deal anymore."  
"You will forget, Suzie Costello."  
"I don't want to live this life, not when many people will suffer because of it. I don't care if I forget."  
"You don't?" The Trickster sounds surprised. Suzie turns to me.  
"Emma, can you and Child's Torchwood bounce the meteor back into space in time?"  
"Yes," I nod. "We will."  
"When all of this is over, come and find me. I have a daughter, somewhere, out there. Shyla Costello. Please, find her." I nod before Suzie sacrifices her memories.

We find ourselves in the attic of Thirteen Bannerman Road with our parents, Jessica and Alistair. "What's going on?" Alan asks.  
"Everything's back to normal!" The Doctor cries, hugging the twins. Suddenly, we hear the rumble of the meteor. "THE METEOR!"  
"IT'S STILL COMING!" Alistair yells.  
"39 SECONDS UNTIL IMPACT!" Luke cries as we jump up, running towards Mr Smith.  
"MR SMITH, WE NEED YOU!" Mummy calls.  
"Emergency measures required," Mr Smith informs.  
"I know. Jessica, stabilize the-" Jessica has already stabilized the magnetic buffer.  
"Come on!" The Doctor yells.  
"Right, Mr Smith, activate!" Mum yells. The meteor swerves away from Earth just in time. We all begin jumping around, relieved.

"So, you protect Earth outside of Child's Torchwood?" Carla asks. Clyde nods. I sit with my children and my girlfriend on the step. Maria and her parents stand by the window. Rani is hugging her parents. Mum and Mummy are sitting beside Carla on the sofa. Everything is back to normal for us.  
"There's something I have to do," I remember. "Mr Smith, I need you to find Suzie and Shyla Costello. I need to arrange a meeting with them." Mr Smith locates them, and I invite them to Child's Torchwood.

When I meet Suzie, she almost falls into my arms, sobbing. "Thank you, Emma. You showed me that I don't have to be a killer. Bless you." I reunite her with Shyla and employ them both into the London base for the time being.


	6. Kiss kiss, Bang bang

"Hurry, we're running late!" Jessica yells as Child's Torchwood run for the car. After chasing down a lost dolphin last night and sheltering it in our swimming pool, we had to pull our uniform on and forget any ideas about breakfast. We dash for the door of the warehouse, and I climb into the driver's seat.  
"Well, we were chasing a dolphin down the Thames until six in the morning!" Rani exclaims.  
"We're not going to make it on time unless we teleport," I warn as Shyla joins us. After the incident with the Trickster, both Suzie and Shyla have proved their loyalty to us, and we are planning on where they can go during half terms and Easter so we can bring more children into Child's Torchwood. So far, in January 2008, we have a Child's Torchwood base in all of the UK cities and Paris.  
"We might need to go back in time as well," Jessica warns as I press a button on my teleportation bracelet. Suddenly, the sky grows dark.

"What the hell?" Maria asks as a sports car speeds past us. I blink. Another SUV slows down before rolling down the window.  
"Gwen?!" I ask, shocked.  
"Hiya! Did you see a Blowfish driving a sports car?"  
"Yeah, it went that way." I point straight ahead.  
"Thank you." We follow Torchwood and set out earpieces so we can hear them.

"Species not on record," Tosh reports. "DNA type says some sort of land-fish."  
"All I am saying is that you are speeding and there are children," Gwen exclaims to Owen.  
"Well, if there are kids out at midnight, they've got it coming."  
"Detecting high levels of algae…"  
"Who's afraid of the big scary fish then?" Maria jokes.  
"Big fish with a gun," Jessica points out.  
"Special weapons?" Clyde asks.  
"Not that I can see, Clyde," Tosh replies.  
"Do we need special weapons?"  
"What are you going to do when you catch it?" I ask.  
"Jack would know," Gwen sighs.  
"Yeah, well, Jack's not here now, is he?" Owen asks. "Jack's disappeared. Fat lot of good Jack is." Rani pokes her head out of the window.  
"BLOWFISH!" She yells.  
"HOLD ON!" Owen yells, speeding up. I speed up as well.

"Emma, you're nearly breaking the speed limit!" Luke exclaims.  
"Whatever," I reply. "Let's catch that Blowfish!" Everyone in the car grins. We swerve to avoid hitting a roundabout- unlike Owen, who drove through it.  
"Hold the wheel," Owen tells Gwen.  
"Don't you dare!" I yell.  
"Was I talking to you? I thought not."  
"Right." Gwen takes hold of the wheel. Owen leans out of his window with a gun, shooting the tyres so the Blowfish (hopefully) can't get too far. He ducks back into the car. We drive onto another road where we find the vehicle abandoned. We pull our guns out, heading out into the rain.

"Where is it? Where's it gone?" Shyla asks. We hear gunshots coming from a nearby house, and we run in. Owen helps an injured man while Gwen, Ianto and Tosh take strategic places around the room. Slowly, I begin approaching the Blowfish.  
"Let the girl go," I growl.  
"So, this is Team Torchwood," the Blowfish gloats. "And what an honour to find Child's Torchwood London, too! The teacher's pets, but the teacher's gone, hasn't he? Leaving the kiddie-kids all alone. And look at you, trying so hard to be all grown-up." He begins trying to demote everyone, before a gunshot hits him through the head, spraying his brain against the window. We all turn to find Jack standing behind us.  
"Hey, kids, did you miss me?" Jack grins at us.

When we return to the base, I lead Shyla into the Cardiff Child's Torchwood base. We all smile, realising that everything is still in its proper place. "Shyla, can you go to Egypt soon?" Jessica asks, passing her a bracelet. "We need as many people as we can get."  
"I can go now," Shyla offers. Jessica nods, and she leaves.  
"Mummy, go to the CIA, you will find Rex Matheson and Esther Drummond. Employ them, fast as you can." I nod as she passes me a bracelet, and I teleport away.

"All right, Esther?" Rex asks as they walk home in New York. It is the dead of night. They walk in almost silence.  
"Yeah. I'm thinking about my sister. She can't support herself. She's a single mum, struggles psychologically."  
"I'm sorry."  
"Don't worry about it. I have to look after Sarah, even though I am the younger sister."  
"Maybe I can help you?" I suggest. The two of them turn to me.  
"Where the hell did you come from?" Rex asks.  
"Cardiff," I reply. "Rex, Esther, I need your help."  
"How do you know our names?" Esther asks, surprised.  
"Listen, I need your help, please."  
"All right, Cardiff Kid," Rex approaches me. "Do you need to go back to your parents?"  
"No, I was told to employ you by my daughter. I know it sounds strange, but please hear me out."  
"My flat?" Esther offers. I nod, thanking her for the invite.

"Coffee?" Esther asks, sticking the kettle on.  
"Yes, please," I smile. Rex nods.  
"How did you get here, Cardiff Kid?" Rex asks.  
"The time for questions will come later when I finish explaining what you need to know." When they both sit down, I begin my explanation.

"I come from Child's Torchwood, or, to be more accurate, I am the leader of Child's Torchwood. The aim was to get as many children off the streets and in employment worldwide."  
"Wow," Rex exclaims. "That's a big achievement. Where are your bases?"  
"We've currently got bases all over the UK and in Paris, but we are hoping to set up bases across the world."  
"You said that the aim was to get children off the streets," Esther draws me back. "As in, past tense. Has something changed?"  
"My daughter, Jessica, she can see the future. She saw an alien coming to Earth demanding children. Now, we have to fight back against them. All we know is that they will come in the summer of 2009."  
"Right," Esther nods.  
"I can pull up documents of Child's Torchwood within the hour if you don't believe me."  
"No, it's okay. What do you need us to do?" I find a map of Washington and spread it out over the table.  
"By the end of March, I want you to help me set up Child's Torchwood in Washington."  
"Why us?" Rex asks. "We're with the CIA. Why do you need us?"  
"Jessica said that we would meet you in 2011, so it will be better for all of us if we know each other." Rex nods.  
"Should we involve the CIA?"  
"It would be better if you don't. I'd rather know who knows, and I don't know if they will stay loyal to Child's Torchwood." Rex and Esther nod, agreeing that they will look into what they can do. I explain that I will help them set up personal files for them, which I do before I leave.

When I return to Child's Torchwood, a citizen was murdered. Torchwood already arrived at the scene and has asked us politely not to get involved. When Maria, Luke, Clyde and Rani return, we begin adding the New Child's Torchwood bases when the people we contacted report back to us. The first ones are Esther and Rex, who have set up a warehouse in Washington DC. We all begin smiling, but Jessica still frowns. We have to work faster.  
"It's not the fact that we have to work faster," Jessica groans when Clyde suggests this. "The fact is that our accounts are going to freeze tomorrow."  
"What?!" I screech, jumping up.  
"The Queen knows that we are setting up Child's Torchwood in war-torn countries, and wants us to stop. As we won't, she and the government will freeze all funding to us."  
"What are we going to do?" Maria sinks in her chair. We are all at a loss. If the government doesn't help, we're finished.

That's when I have an idea. "I've got Kudlak's contact details. I'll let him know the situation we are in and ask if he knows anyone who can help."  
"Would he know anyone who can help?" Rani asks, uncertain.  
"It's better than sitting around not doing anything," I call Kudlak, and he says that he ran into the other half of my species, the Qetesh. They might be able to help us, along with the Shadow Proclamation. As soon as I am off the phone, I tell the group what is going on. We call everyone that is part of Child's Torchwood, and many of them are willing to help. Those that have the money for it are going to reinvest it back into Child's Torchwood. One of them said that we should not allow the adults to make the decisions for us.

Before dawn, Jack joins us, and I ask to talk to him alone. "How are you, Emma?" He asks me.  
"All the better for seeing you, Captain."  
"You don't have to call me "Captain"."  
"I know." I sigh. "Jessica said that the Queen and all of the governments would withdraw funding from Child's Torchwood."  
"What?"  
"Jessica said that as long as we're helping children in war-torn countries, they might think we are allied with terrorists."  
"Which you're not."  
"Of course not!"  
"Just checking. There's something I should have told you a long time ago. I don't think you'll like what I have to say."  
"What is it?"  
"Is there somewhere private we can talk? I don't want you going into Torchwood; we have a visitor."  
"I'll let the team know." We head back up, and I tell Clyde, Rani, Maria, Luke, Shyla, Jessica and Alistair not to go into Torchwood. They agree, and Jack and I head into my office.

"That new girl you employed, the black-haired one, who is she?"  
"Shyla Costello, Suzie's daughter. I employed them both. When I met Suzie, when we met the Trickster, she asked me to find her as she didn't want to be a bad woman. While she's with Child's Torchwood, she is on a tight leash as we can't trust her."  
"More like you can't trust her."  
"You're right," I smile. I offer Jack some water, and we sit down.  
"Emma, the news I have to give you might be distressing. Back in February 1999, I knew your mother intimately. We did… well, what you and the Doctor did. She was here for about a week before heading back to her home."  
"Why was she here?"  
"Lavinia Smith was getting onto us and sent Ruby ahead to make sure that she was right and to sabotage anything that could destroy the city. She flirted with me a bit to get on my good side. No one else on the team knew. On Christmas Day, Juno called me, saying that both Sarah Jane and Ruby gave birth. The Doctor ran DNA tests on you both. You aren't twins."  
"What?"

"You and Luke, you're half siblings. Juno whispered it to me that I was a father. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't leave because Alex had killed everyone on Torchwood except me. I had to stay. I wanted to go and find you at once, I swear." Jack is crying. "Then, when Harris ruined Sarah Jane's name after her Aunt's funeral, I visited the village to give her my condolences. Ruby recognised me at once. She didn't want me to get close to you just in case, but things didn't turn out that way."  
"So, which one of us is Sarah Jane's biological child?"  
"Luke is," Jack whispers, placing his glass on the table. "I'm sorry, Emma. Your parents wouldn't let me say anything unless they died. If that happened, I was to become your guardian. That arrangement is still in place, even after you turn eighteen. If you ever need any support, I will be here for you." I hug Jack. I don't think I am ready to see him as my father yet. Besides, what am I going to say to everyone else?


	7. Sleeper

What do I do now? What can I do? Should I call Jack my dad? Should I keep everything the same?

I am sitting in the Hub while everyone else is sorting out bases for Child's Torchwood around the world. Jessica and Alistair have gone with Maria to make sure that everything is running smoothly. Of course, as Jessica predicted, the Queen froze our bank accounts, but Kudlak unfroze them, and we have our finances back. He says that he used alien technology- and, quite frankly, I won't ask him how he did it.

Bored, I head into the Torchwood hub. "… Just us and this room for as long as it takes," Jack tells someone. I feel a shiver down my spine. I never realised how intimidating Jack- Dad- can be. The lights go out. Dad joins me, and I quote back what he said to the woman.  
"Terrifying."  
"Really?"  
"Absolutely. Shivers down my spine."  
"You don't look scared."  
"It passed."

"Now, we have a visitor here who we think killed the two burglars in her flat. We are going to run tests on her and stuff, and it would be helpful if your team stays out of the way."  
"Again?! Jack, why are you pushing us out when we want to help you?"  
"Listen, Emma; I don't know how dangerous she is. Please, just one more time, okay?" I nod, defeated. "In the meantime, why don't you and your team analyse the aliens you fought and prepare some alien files? The new team members coming in will need all of the help they can get." I nod, before heading back to Child's Torchwood. It seems like it will be one of those days.

When I return to the Child's Torchwood hub, I continue putting up the alien files until I reach the last alien we fought, the Trickster. After that, I head down into the autopsy room, but I have nothing to do. Should I go back through into Torchwood even though Jack forbade me?

Well, I'm not the sort of girl who sits around. I'm ready to help.

I head to the autopsy room where the woman is strapped down, about to be frozen. Jack glances my way. "I'll talk to you when this is over," he says. I nod, silently. "Wait in my office." I head up and sit in one of the chairs. Jack comes in a few minutes later. "Where's everyone else?"  
"They're setting up more bases for Child's Torchwood. Now we don't have funding from the Royal Family; we have to rely on aliens for help." Jack grins. "I don't know what to do anymore." Jack's smile falters.  
"You don't have to do anything; no one is expecting you."  
"Yes, but I am your daughter. What am I meant to do with that information? I mean, does anyone else know?"  
"Only the two of us know. If you want to tell others, you can. If you want to keep it a secret, that's fine too."  
"I want to make you proud."  
"And you do, every day." The lights go out. Sirens start wailing. "Can somebody tell me what the hell is going on?" We run out of his office.  
"Oh, shit!" Gwen exclaims. "Beth's gone!"  
"I thought she was frozen!"  
"She was. All of her vitals were at zero," Owen replies.  
"Checking systems, command history," Tosh adds.  
"What did she do? Is it a virus, a lockdown?" Jack asks.  
"No, she just turned off the lights."  
"What is it with her and light bulbs?"  
"She went through the tunnels."  
"Time to change the locks again," I grin as Jack and Gwen head out. Jack smiles back before they leave. I head back into Child's Torchwood and sit at my desk. Suddenly, the ground starts shaking as the others get back. There was a pipeline under the M4 link road used by the military until it was blown up. All of the telephones go out; there is no way to contact anyone else in Child's Torchwood until they are up and running again. By the end of the day, we can get in contact with them through our communications devices.

Jack walks into my office that evening. "What is it?" I ask, worried.  
"I shouldn't have told you the truth," Jack starts pacing. "You were much happier before."  
"Don't you think I had the right to know?"  
"Yes, but how would this affect your parents? Not even they know the truth. Have you thought about that?"  
"We need to make sure that we have the facts right before telling anyone else. We should do a DNA test to make sure."  
"You're right," Jack sits down. "When would be a good time to do the DNA test?"  
"Tomorrow morning?"  
"Yeah. We should get Owen to do it, to make sure we have the right information. I can't trust all of these big companies."  
"Does he know what to do?"  
"He should do. I'll ask him." Jack stands to leave. "Your parents have done a good job, Emma, we shouldn't ruin it for them."


	8. To The Last Man

Owen prepares the DNA results for Jack and me before he wakes up Tommy Brockless, a soldier from World War One. They wake him up every year. "I don't get it; why have I never seen him?" I ask.  
"We've kept you out of the Hub during that time," Jack explains as we analyse the results from the DNA test. "Someday, we're gonna need him." We are in the meeting room when the others come in and serve Tommy breakfast. He talks about the miniskirts and says that it's a shame they haven't made a comeback. Jack stops, confused. He points to one of the results.  
"Well, you were right," I point out.  
"Yeah, but what does that mean for everyone? The others have no idea. How's Child's Torchwood going?"  
"We have bases nearly in every country." I get a text from Rex. "And Washington is now overrun by Child's Torchwood." Jack grins. A few minutes later, we leave.

"So, should I start calling you Dad?" I ask.  
"You don't have to," Jack replies. "Not if you don't feel comfortable with it."  
"Thanks, Dad."  
"You don't have to."  
"It feels right." I head into Child's Torchwood to find everyone waiting for me. "What's going on?"  
"When did you find out you were Jack's daughter?" Rani asks.  
"How do you even know?"  
"Owen told us."  
"Jack assumed I was his daughter, but he wasn't sure. He told me when we first got here after the blowfish incident. I wanted to do what was right, but there was no right way about this." Before I get up again, Owen appears. Jack and Gwen are at a hospital where Torchwood took Tommy Brockless.

"Emma, can we speak in private?" He asks. I nod, thinking that my day can't get any worse. I lead him to my office.  
"What can I do for you?" I ask, offering him some water, which he takes.  
"I was wondering what I could do for you."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Jack told me to fake the test results."  
"What?"  
"He wanted a child that was close to him. He had a child before; he told me, Alice Carter. However, they aren't close. He wanted someone who could be his child, someone he could love as his own. You just seemed to fit the bill as you look so much like him."  
"Why did he do this? I was happy before!"  
"I know, Emma."  
"I don't want anything to do with him!"  
"Emma, don't jump into any rash decisions."  
"Please, leave me, Owen." Owen nods, leaving me in my office. Maria knocks on the door. "Please, leave me alone." Maria nods, leaving.

Why did this happen? Why did Jack lie about who I am? I curl up in my seat, crying. "Mummy?" Jessica asks in a quiet voice. I jump, startled. "Are you okay?"  
"I thought I could trust him." Alistair joins us.  
"It's okay," he says. "We know what happened, and we understand why you don't want to see Jack again."  
"It doesn't make sense… why would he do this?"  
"He wanted a child of his own, but he went about it the wrong way. He shouldn't have said anything or lied about the test results."  
"I want nothing to do with him."  
"We get it," Jessica agrees. Maria, Clyde, Rani and Luke walk in. I explain to them what happened before asking about Shyla.  
"She's trying to set up a Child's Torchwood in Russia," Rani explains.  
"Oh, good luck to Shyla."

After talking to them for a few more minutes, they head out to other Child's Torchwood bases to keep track of who is where and that sort of stuff. Jack comes in. "I want nothing to do with you."  
"I guess Owen told you."  
"Yeah, so?"  
"I want to apologise, for lying to you. That was stupid of me. I was careless. You mean a lot to me, Emma. I didn't want to lose you." Jack is crying, and he pulls me into a hug. I hug him back, tears in my eyes.  
"Now, we have detected something suspicious in an upturned lorry. Do you want Child's Torchwood to help investigate?" I look over at my team.  
"We don't mind," Clyde smiles.  
"Probably not," Jessica sighs. "We need a good night's sleep. We'll be up early in the morning."  
"Okay," Jack agrees, before heading out. I look at Jessica, confused.

"Right, Jessica, what's going on?" I ask. Jessica just chuckled as the TARDIS appeared. The Doctor pokes her head out.  
"Right, what year is this?"  
"2008," I reply.  
"Can I stay a while?"  
"Sure." Alarms start ringing throughout the Hub. "What is it?" Rani checks one of the monitors.  
"Something's trying to break into the Hub."  
"What is it?"  
"It's humanoid, and it seems to be carrying a carry cot and a parrot. It can't break through until the early hours of tomorrow morning."  
"Well, there's nothing we can do now," I point out. "Let's get some sleep." Rani nods, and we all head in our separate directions.

"You okay?" The Doctor asks.  
"Jack lied to me. He said that I was his daughter when I wasn't, Owen confirmed it." We sit down on the bed. "I never questioned who I was until a few days ago. I felt so insecure; I didn't know who I was."  
"You don't have to change for anyone, Emma. You should make yourself happy, and should only change if it will make you happy." We both settle down in bed. "I love you, Emma. Maybe we should go on a date."  
"Yeah," I smile. "I'd like that."


	9. Adam and Sky

The doorbell wakes us at half five in the morning. "What's going on?" Rani asks. I head upstairs with the Doctor, Jessica and Alistair to the hotel, where the carrycot is waiting. We look at each other, wondering what to do.  
"Go on," Jessica prompts. "It's nothing scary." Slowly, I open the cover to reveal…

"WHAT?!" I exclaim. A baby is lying there in a white dress and hat, holding a white blanket in her hands. Carefully, I pick her up and bring her downstairs. "Why would anyone leave you on a stranger's doorstep?" I ask. The baby starts crying. The lights blow. "Oh!" Jessica and Alistair laugh. I curl the baby close to my body so that the flying glass does not hurt her. The baby continues crying, and I am sure that I can hear more lights exploding.

I begin moving around the hotel, shutting everything off. The baby starts laughing, and alarms start ringing. "So, when you cry, you blow things up. It seems like laughing is not much help as you set alarms off. What else can you do?" I take her back into my room, where the Doctor is waiting with the baby's carrycot. I place her on the bed and the Doctor, and I use our bodies to stop her from crawling off the bed and hurting herself. I grab her white blanket and carefully cover her — the baby yawns.  
"Oh, are you sleepy?" I coo. The baby blinks before falling asleep. I start yawning, too.  
"Why don't you get some more sleep?" The Doctor asks, quietly. "I'll stay awake and watch you two." I feel the darkness closing in on me before I let sleep take me.

In the morning, I feel something wet sucking against my breast. Slowly opening my eyes, I see the baby sucking. At least I occasionally breastfeed Jessica and Alistair, but only if they are having a bad day, or if I am. I stroke the little girl's head, who laughs in surprise. "I've got some clothes of Jessica and Alistair's that could fit you. Shall we go and look?" Carefully, I pick the child up and turn on my clock to check the time, and it is half six, a bit too early to disrupt the twins. I turn my clock back off as the Doctor walks back in with a pile of clothes.  
"I got these from Jessica and Alistair," she says. "I hope they fit her." We start sorting through the newborn clothes. We want to try them on her, but the baby is having none of it, always screaming whenever we put her down.

At ten past seven, I call the rest of the team so we could try and work out where the child comes from, and Rani points out that it seems every lightbulb in the Bay blew. Luke and Maria are about to research what is going on when the baby starts crying, blowing up the computers. Clyde sets up a bottle, explaining that he looked after his cousin a few times. While Clyde is feeding the baby, I go to get dressed.

"Jack?" I ask, heading into Torchwood. "I need your help."  
"What happened early this morning?" Tosh asks. "All of the computers have blown."  
"Yeah, I was going to-" I stop when I see another man there among the team. "Who is this?"  
"Silly Emma," the man laughs. "You said that on my first day three years ago." He touches my shoulder. "Remember?" I can see memories of the two of us, but I don't remember it happening. He poured me a cup of coffee- I hate coffee. I see myself introducing him to my children yesterday, all three of them. However, I only found the baby this morning.  
"Liar," I reply. "I know none of those memories happened. For a start, I hate coffee. Second, I have three children, one of which I only found this morning, so there's no way I could have introduced them to you." I push him away from me and aim my gun.  
"Hey, what are you doing?!" Jack exclaims.  
"He's trying to manipulate my memories. He must have done that with you as well!"  
"No, I didn't," the man says, walking forward again, placing his hand on my shoulder. This time, I can see myself with him when he joined in 2006, shortly before Gwen. I was teaching him how to fire the guns in the shooting range. He would give me some milk if I felt lonely. He would play with Jessica and Alistair. _No, this isn't real. He's trying to get into your memories. _I can't stop him. I have to accept the fact that he is part of the team.

I lead him into Child's Torchwood, where he greets everyone, who all act very confused. "He was never part of the team!" Alistair exclaims.  
"Mummy, he's using us all!" Jessica wails. The baby starts crying, blowing the lights. I grab her in my arms with Jessica and Alistair surrounding me. "Mummy, you and Luke have to turn into your teenage forms. However, this time, it will be permanent."  
"Why do Luke and I have to change?"  
"The baby's going to grow up. Do you want your child looking older than you?"  
"I guess not." Adam places his hand, first on Jessica, then Alistair. When he finished greeting them, I let him hold the baby as Luke and I change into our teenage forms. Adam passes her back.

"What are you going to call her?" He asks.  
"Sky?" I suggest. "She came out of nowhere, almost like she fell out of the sky."  
"Does she blow lights up?"  
"Yeah," I agree. "I need to talk to Jack about it; see if he knows anything."  
"Why don't I talk to him? Tosh seems annoyed that little Sparky here has blown up the computers." He begins to tickle Sky.  
"Oh, I won't-" Sky begins laughing, and the computers blow again.  
"Right, I won't mention it to Tosh."  
"That's a good idea," I smile. We head into the Hub, and I take Sky in my arms. Maria, Clyde and Rani begin talking to Adam, asking him if anything came through the rift recently as Jack wouldn't let us go on adventures at the moment. Tosh explains that they had rift activity two days ago, but nothing came through.  
"Apart from me," Owen says in a silly voice, giving Tosh a screen cleaner for her computers.

There was more rift activity at 5:30 a.m.  
"That's the time Sky came through," Adam says.  
"Who's Sky?" Jack asks.  
"I've adopted her, sort of," I admit. "I wouldn't make her laugh, though, she sets alarms off.  
"Let me guess; she blows stuff up when she cries?" Ianto asks.  
"I need help," I agree.  
"Emma, I don't know if any of us will be of help," Jack admits. "Besides, she's an alien, what would any of us know?" I continue to hold Sky as Gwen admires her.

That night, Adam walks into Child's Torchwood to help settle Jessica and Alistair. I don't want to be apart from Sky yet. After Jessica and Alistair are settled, and everyone else is asleep, Adam joins Sky and I as I check through my diary. I can't find anything on Adam. If he was at Torchwood all that time, like I remember, then it should be in my journal. Why isn't it?

"Are you okay, Emma?" Adam asks. "You look like you've seen a ghost."  
"My diary. You're not in it, even though everyone else is. It's like remembering someone who doesn't exist." Adam drops my diary.  
"Memory is a very delicate thing. If you cross me, I will fill you with fake memories until your head is on fire as that is how I exist." Slowly, I back away, clutching Sky in my arms. "Feeding myself in wipes other memories out. It's a side effect of what I have to do to survive."  
"Jack has to know!" I try to run past Adam, but he throws me into the table. I drop Sky, who starts screaming. I'm about to reach out for her when Adam grabs Sky, pressing his hand to my forehead.  
"Remember this!"

I am standing in a dark alley with Jessica and Alistair, baby Sky in my arms. "Okay, children, are you ready?" I ask. Jessica and Alistair nod, crouching. Three people are in the same alley. Two of them are arguing. Another is standing off to the side. Jessica and Alistair lunge at the two arguing, snapping their necks. The other tries to run off, screaming. I jump in front of her, handing her Sky, who she takes. I snap her neck before grabbing Sky back out of her limp arms. Jessica and Alistair are already eating the remains of the other two, wet, ripping sounds over the rain. I begin tearing at my most recent victim. Sky smells the fresh blood, reaching her hand out, wanting to taste.

"My diary!"  
"They weren't the first," Adam says as the scene changes. There is another alleyway, a woman walking home. I am walking behind her. "Besides, all human record is a lie." I see myself kill the woman. The scene changes again. So many people died because of my children and me.

Adam leaves me alone with baby Sky, seeking out Jessica and Alistair, who run through to me, sobbing, as soon as he is gone. "We have to tell Jack," I whisper. "He'll stop us from killing more people." Jack walks through. "Jack." Jack turns to us.  
"What happened? Who's this?"  
"You have to put us in the vaults. Lock us up. We've killed so many people."  
"Stop kidding around."  
"I'm serious. We murdered those people in cold blood." I jump up, staring around me. "You have to lock us away before we turn on you. No one's safe!" Jack grabs me. "We'll figure this out. Come on, Emma, we've been through hell and back together. We can get over this, we all can. Come on." He leads us into his office and brings out the lie detector. "This is the best lie detector on the planet. If something's untrue, the light turns red. Go." I begin telling Jack what happened, and the light stays green. The same happens with Jessica and Alistair. Jack can't question Sky as she's a newborn. "This is not you; something's changed you." Jack begins checking the log, asking about Adam. His personnel file was updated 24 hours ago; he has no blood sample. Jack presents some CCTV.  
"He's using us, that's what you said, Jessica. You were right," I say.  
"I usually am," Jessica agrees. "So, what do we do? Adam doesn't exist?"  
"And it proves you four aren't murderers," Jack agrees.

Owen comes in with some flowers, placing them on Tosh's desk before heading into the autopsy room. The rest of Child's Torchwood file in, joking around. I keep a tight hold on Sky when Tosh and Adam come in. I am not letting that monster touch my baby girl. Jack aims his gun at Adam, explaining to everyone that he didn't exist until two days ago. "Child's Torchwood wasn't affected too much; they still remember everything thanks to the memory serum I included with each membership. They remember everything that happened before. They can wipe you out by choice; they don't have to take any pills or anything." He takes Adam to the vaults, locking him up before calling all of us in.

"Our memories define us," Jack begins. "Adam changed those memories, changed who we are. Now I have to help you all go back. Find a memory that defines you. Rediscover who you are. If I'm wrong, he'll still be here when we've done this." Jack changes the screen so we can no longer see Adam. "Let me take you back to before we all met." Jack dims the lights so we can concentrate. "Feel around for anything that makes you what you are. The hidden and forgotten, tell me where you are." I close my eyes, thinking about what makes me who I am. What memory helped with that?

Jack goes around all of his Torchwood staff, giving them retcon so they would forget Adam. Then, he starts coming around us. "When I lose my faith, and the world goes dark, who will remind me of who I am?" Rani asks, quietly.  
"I will," Jack promises.  
"When I lose who I am, who will help me out of hell?" Luke asks.  
"I will."  
"When I lose sight of what I care about the most, who will help me?" Clyde asks. He is holding Rani's hand. Rani looks over at him, smiling.  
"I will."  
"I never thought I would love anyone as much as I love Luke," Maria smiles.  
"Cherish that love, Maria. We see enough death."

_I am with the Doctor in one of the cells. She is talking to me. Then, we are with Jessica and Alistair, and today, with Sky. My family, the people who give me meaning, the people I don't want to be apart from, ever. _

"When I forget my family, who will remind me of who they are?"  
"Your girlfriend will," Jack smiles. Gwen, Owen and Ianto take their pills. Tosh refrains, saying that she loved Adam. Jack convinces Tosh that Adam forced that love on her, and she eventually takes the retcon pill. Jack heads out. I round up Child's Torchwood, and we head back to our base before wiping our memories.

The Doctor is beside me when I wake up. I remember about Sky- her parents might be looking for her. I kind of hope I am wrong, I don't want to lose her so soon. I scan Sky, so we can find out where she comes from with help from Mr Smith-White, who remained at the base in Cardiff. "Now, Clyde, give the finding to Mr Smith-White, hopefully, find out who she is."  
"Received and understood," Clyde agrees, saluting.  
"I'll stay with him," Rani offers. "If Sparky blows her top again, we don't want her anywhere near Child's Torchwood."  
"Right, then, time to get clear of Cardiff Bay. Park! Should be safe enough."  
"Yep," Maria agrees. "Let's go." We're about to head out when Gita walks in.  
"Oh, no," Rani groans.

"There you are, Rani!" Gita exclaims. Rani hands Sky's carrycot to me, and I shut the lid, hoping against hope that Gita won't notice. "Oh, Luke, Emma, Jessica, Alistair, you've all grown up."  
"How did you recognise us?" Luke asks.  
"I took a random guess. I don't think anyone at school will recognise you, though. Oh! Is there's something you've not been telling us, Emma?" She noticed the carrycot.  
"Mum, there is one simple explanation." Gita opens the lid to reveal Sky.  
"Oh, the Doctor's convinced you to start fostering, hasn't she, my darling?" All I can do is nod. I am in a state of shock. "How wonderful! I always thought you and the Doctor are fantastic parents to Jessica and Alistair."  
"Oh, why thank you, Gita," I smile.  
"No wonder why your parents couldn't get you on the phone. Bet she's a proper little handful. Aren't you? Aren't you, my…" I have to close the lid before Gita tickles Sky.  
"Yes, well, it was all a bit sudden. Well, three days ago, we practically opened the door, and there she was like she'd fallen out of the sky."  
"Oh, like that thing last night. What's her name?"  
"Her name?" Clyde asks, surprised. I never told the rest of the team her name.  
"What thing last night?" I ask.  
"You sound so much like Sarah, always wanting to know everything. I heard it on the radio before Jack told us, dashing fellow, isn't he? A meteor landed in that wreckers yard on Peel Road."  
"A meteor?" Rani asks.  
"She must have a name, Emma!"  
"Sky."  
"Sky? Oh, like she'd fallen out of it?" I nod. "Oh, that's beautiful. Just like you." The lid is open again, which I hadn't realised, and Gita is tickling Sky. Sky begins laughing. Alarms start blaring. "Oh, flipping heck! First all of the light bulbs two days ago and now all of the alarms. I'll catch up with you later." Gita walks off. "Jack!"

"An alien baby turning up on our doorstep and a meteor crash-landing in the same city must be an intergalactic coincidence!" Clyde exclaims.  
"We should check it out," Rani agrees.  
"Absolutely. Clyde, give me my scanner back, Mr Smith-White will have to analyse it later." I pass Sky to him, and we begin heading out. "We need to check out the wreckers yard."  
"What? What are you doing?"  
"The last thing we need is her blowing the car's electrics," I point out. "Make sure Mr Smith-White stays out of harm's way."  
"You'll be fine," Shyla grins. "You're a natural."  
"Look after her, Clyde. I'm sure someone's left her here because she's in danger." We climb into the car before heading off.

"So, you think Sky's in danger?" Rani asks.  
"She is in danger," Jessica contradicts. "It wasn't a meteor that landed last night, but an alien entity. We don't have to check out the wrecker's yard."  
"Jessica's right," Alistair agrees. "Mummy, can you please pass me the SatNav?" I pass it to him, asking what he is doing. "An alien entity has landed on Earth, and it's looking for Sky. If I can… yes! Oh, no."  
"What is it?" Maria asks.  
"The thing is moving, right towards the Bay. We have to call Clyde." Rani is already on the phone to him.  
"There's no answer," she says, worried. "We need to get back." I turn the car around, heading back to the Hub.

"Clyde?" There is no sign of him. I call Mr Smith-White out, who starts looking for Clyde and Sky, locating them at the Turnmill Nuclear Power Station. I drive over there as fast as I can, finding a back entrance as the security guard still looks lively. We get in, locating Clyde and Sky. "Clyde, run!" I use my scanner to blow something up. We begin running, only to be cornered by a being made of metal. Jessica screams. "Back!" We run back, and Clyde places Sky on the ground. "Get back!" I snarl. "I'm not letting you hurt my daughter!"  
"She's not a child; she is a weapon."  
"And she is underprimed. She isn't ready for this. You have doomed us all!" Sky starts crying. The carrycot is surrounded by electricity. The woman smiles.  
"What's going on?" Rani asks.  
"Sky's energy; it's flooding out of her!" I realise.  
"Yes, the weapon is priming itself! Your presence has activated it." The metal man moves away. "The doom of the Metalkind is come."  
"It's meant to be 'has come'." Luke corrects her. The carrycot explodes, and we all watch in stunned silence as Sky turns into a young teenager. She has shoulder-length brown hair with blonde highlights and blue eyes. She is wearing a knee-length white dress, much like the one she arrived in, and she isn't wearing any shoes.  
"Sky?" I whisper. Sky immediately looks at the Doctor and me.

"What just happened?" Rani asks.  
"I think Sky just grew up," I say, quietly. Thank goodness for the warning Jessica gave me.  
"What, with no birthdays?" Maria asks.  
"That's just rubbish!" Clyde agrees.  
"I am too late," the Metalkind butts in.  
"Face your destruction, Metalkind. The child is your doom!" Electricity begins crackling around Sky.  
"WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!" She asks, terrified.  
"Destroy him!" An electrical spark shoots out of Sky, hitting the Metalkind in the chest. He falls to the floor. The woman turns back to Sky. "Again, my child!"  
"NO!" I shriek. The electricity around Sky disappears.

"What am I?" Sky asks me.  
"Oh, Sky, don't be frightened," I begin, but the woman interrupts me.  
"You are the hammer to crush the Metalkind. You are the weapon and salvation of my species. Destroy your enemy!"  
"Sky, you have no enemies; you don't have to destroy anyone. Just be calm, and trust us. Everything will be all right."  
"Mummy?"  
"Everything's going to be all right, I promise."  
"STOP YOUR MEDDLING!" The woman yells. She holds her hand out to Sky. "Come with me. Return home and fulfil your purpose." Sky looks up at me, before sending a wave of electricity at the woman, crouching to the floor, growling and snarling.  
"I don't think she wants to go with you."  
"I am the child's mother!"  
"Introducing Miss Myers. She spells it the alien way," Clyde pipes up.  
"Well, my name is Emma Smith-White, and I don't think you're a fit parent!"  
"She is a weapon! Grown in a laboratory to destroy the enemies of my species. I grew her!"  
"What does she mean?" Sky asks, quietly.  
"Don't listen to her," the Doctor picks her up.  
"Her DNA went wrong; she is meant to be full Fleshkind, changed it to match the DNA of her siblings."  
"What?" Alistair asks.  
"Someone messed with it, the person who brought her to you."  
"None of us can help the way we come into the universe," I begin. "But, we all have a say in what we become. And whatever you have planned for her, this is an innocent child, not a weapon. And we will protect her from the Metalkind, and we will protect her from you!" I use my scanner to blow up something else. "RUN!" We run out of the building into the sunshine.

"Mum, Mummy, is what she said true?" Sky asks.  
"Why are you calling us that?" The Doctor asks.  
"That's what my siblings call you both, I thought it would make me feel like I belong. Why, don't you like it?"  
"No, it's not that, Sky," I tell her. "We're glad that you want us to be your family; thank you."  
"You're welcome. Now, back to my question."  
"All we know is that someone brought you to us to protect you, and that's what we're going to do." We climb into the car and set off back to Child's Torchwood.

"We shouldn't go through the main entrance," Rani warns. "There might still be a lot of broken glass."  
"Then we'll go through Torchwood." As we head through Torchwood, we spot our parents.  
"Rani, you had us worried!" Haresh and Gita pull their daughter into a hug. Carla and Clyde embrace. Maria is talking to her dad. Luke says that he needs to see if our parents are here, and walks off. The Doctor, Jessica, Alistair and I continue on our route into Child's Torchwood.  
"Hey, Emma!" Jack calls. My parents are with him.  
"Hi, Jack!"  
"Who's the kid?"  
"This is Sky; she was created by the Fleshkind as a weapon. Someone brought her to us three days ago."  
"Hello, Sky. I'm Captain Jack Harkness, Emma's boss. Do you remember being brought here?"  
"Mummy is the first thing I remember."  
"Oh."  
"Sky, now that you're grown up, can you control your powers?" I ask.  
"I think so."  
"Then you've got to promise that you will because I need you to meet a friend of ours." I take Sky into Child's Torchwood, followed by Mum and Mummy.

"Welcome to Child's Torchwood," Jack smiles.  
"It's underneath the Bay, like Torchwood?"  
"Yeah."  
"That's so cool!"  
"Mr Smith-White, I need you!" I call. Mr Smith-White hisses in response.  
"Don't you dare let the child near me."  
"It's all right; Sky won't hurt you."  
"Is the child under control?" Mr Smith-White opens up into his full glory.  
"Wow!" Sky cries.  
"It's all right, I promise," I tell him.

"What are you?" Sky asks.  
"I am a Xylok, exactly like Mr Smith back in London," Mr Smith-White explains. "A crystalline life form with highly sensitive cybernetic interfaces. I would be grateful if you remain distant."  
"But, can we still be friends?"  
"Provided my circuits remain intact."  
"Sky has undergone a metamorphosis," I explain. "I need you to make sure that she's unharmed." I turn to Sky. "Don't worry; it won't hurt." Sky stands in front of Mr Smith-White as he scans her.  
"Why are you a teenager?" Mummy asks.  
"Jessica said that Sky would age up and so I had to change permanently. Jessica and Alistair have also grown up, so the three of them look like triplets."  
"How are we going to explain it to the school?"  
"I haven't thought of that."

"It tickles!" Sky laughs.  
"Please, try not to laugh," Mr Smith-White prompts.  
"Mr Smith-White, please stop fussing and analyse the scan." Jessica and Alistair walk through, standing beside Sky.  
"Biologically, Sky appears to be a healthy 12-year-old child."  
"Twelve? Is that a good age?"  
"Well, until the spots start," Rani exclaims as the rest of Child's Torchwood walk through.  
"Jessica, take Sky, find something she can wear."  
"Sure," Jessica agrees as she and Alistair take Sky to their room.

"Mr Smith-White, how did Jessica, Alistair and Sky turn into teenagers?" The Doctor asks.  
"Jessica and Alistair, like Emma and Luke, can change their physical age at will. However, all five of them have lost that and are stuck as teenagers until their actual age catches up with them."  
"And Sky?"  
"Sky's synthetic DNA was programmed for this level of maturity to maximise her effectiveness. Like her siblings, she too is now stuck in this form until her age catches up with her."  
"As a weapon?" Clyde guesses.  
"As a bomb." I stop short. I knew that Sky was a weapon, but a BOMB? WHO WOULD DO THAT TO A CHILD? SKY WOULD BE KILLED!  
"Why have they done this?" I wail. "To a child as well, of all things. What sort of sick species is Miss Myers?"  
"There is a binary planetary system at the eye of the Tornado Nebula. One has carbon-based life-forms similar to those on Earth. The other evolved as boron-based life."  
"And for those of us who are watching the netball team out the window during chemistry?" Clyde asks.  
"Boron is a metalloid element."  
"On one planet, people evolved like us," Mummy explains, "blood, bones, flesh. On the other, metal. That's amazing!"  
"So, this Fleshkind planet, that's where Sky's from?"  
"Yes. The Metalkind and the Fleshkind have been at war for centuries. I believe Sky was created as a doomsday weapon to destroy the Metalkind." I finally find my voice again.  
"Of all the terrible things I've seen, I've never known anything as hideous as using a child as a bomb!"

"What's a bomb?" Sky asks as she and her siblings come in.  
"Oh, Sky."  
"Miss Myers said I was a weapon. That's bad, isn't it? Am I bad?"  
"No, Miss Myers, she's the bad one, not you," the Doctor replies immediately.  
"What am I, then?"  
"The thing inside you," I begin. "Miss Myers created you that way to destroy her enemies, the Metalkind."  
"Kill? What's kill?"  
"To take away life, it dies, and that's wrong, killing's always wrong."  
"But if that's what I'm made to do, that makes me bad."  
"No," Alistair contradicts. "It's not your fault."  
"Mr Smith-White, there must be some way to reverse what Miss Myers has done to her!" I wail.  
"I'm afraid not," the computer replies. "At a molecular level, Sky is a weapon programmed to destruct on contact with the energies of massed Metalkind. I'm sorry; this cannot be undone."  
"Surely if she's a bomb we can find a way to defuse her?" Alistair asks. "Sky, your electricity, do you know any way to disarm it?"  
"No," Sky whispers. "If I knew, I would have done it already."  
"Mr Smith, is there any other way we can defuse our sister?"  
"I know one," Jessica replies. "However, it is hazardous. We'll have to face Miss Myers again so we can attempt to turn off the genetic trigger."  
"Then let's go ask her!" Sky exclaims, heading for the door.  
"Sky, it's not going to be as easy as that," I warn her. "Taking you back to the power station, that's dangerous."  
"Dangerous? What's dangerous?"  
"You could die."  
"Mr Smith-White said I could die anyway. I don't want to be a bomb. Mum, Mummy, will you help me?"

We head to the front of the power station before I stop the car. "I can't help thinking this is a bad idea," Rani whispers.  
"I know," I agree. "The last thing I want is that woman anywhere near Sky! But Miss Myers is the only one who can deprogram her DNA, so she has to come with us."  
"Why don't we go the back way like before?" Maria asks.  
"It's too risky. However, that guard looks too lively. What are we going to do?"  
"I can do this," Sky offers. We all turn to her. "Keep driving, Mummy. I've got this." Slowly, we approach the barrier. Sky uses her powers to set off all of the car alarms. The guards run outside. I use my scanner to activate the gate so we can get through.

We all climb out of the car. "Now, we need you to stay here with the others," I tell Sky.  
"What for?" Sky asks.  
"Yeah, ditto!" Luke exclaims.  
"You need to make sure Sky is safe until we're ready," the Doctor points out.  
"Oh, great, so we get babysitting duty?" Rani demands.  
"Who are you calling a baby?" Sky questions.  
"We're doing this by our rules, Sky," the Doctor replies. "Until we can convince Miss Myers to find a peaceful way to end this war, you're still in danger."  
"Which is why we need you to stay out here with everyone," I agree. "Now, do you promise us?"  
"I suppose." The Doctor and I head off, reminding everyone that they need to keep an eye on her before heading inside.

A man approaches us when we inside. "Oh, good!" I exclaim. "Now, take us to your leader." The man leads the way to Miss Myers.  
"Doctor, Miss Smith-White. Welcome back. Complete your work." The man leaves us with Miss Myers. She turns to us. "I trust you're taking good care of my child?"  
"Yes. You won't be getting your hands on Sky again," I agree.  
"Don't judge me. Do you think I like what this war has forced me to do, to become?"  
"Then I'm asking you, deactivate what you've done to Sky."  
"Deactivate? She is our saviour. Her touch carries the power and fury of an exploding sun. Once fully unleashed, it will destroy every Metalkind in existence."  
"And Sky will be destroyed along with them!"  
"A sacrifice for the preservation of the Fleshkind."  
"That's not a sacrifice, that's slaughter!" I screech. "There are other ways to end wars; you need to want peace more than death."  
"You know nothing. For centuries, the Metalkind have savaged my people; they have sworn to destroy all flesh. And what chance does flesh have against the jaws and blades of iron and steel? But perhaps you shall learn!" She switches the computer to the Metalkind.  
"What is this?" The Doctor demands.

"The child damaged the Metalkind enough for me to make use of it, like a homing device."  
"You're bringing your war to Earth?!" I snarl, crouching.  
"Emma, that's enough!" The Doctor yells. "Metalkind, stop this! Earth has done nothing to hurt your people!"  
"Fleshkind tore the ore from our planet's womb to make their dumb slaves. They stole our children." We turn to Miss Myers. "We have sworn vengeance on all Fleshkind, on any world."  
"I scrambled its brain. He thinks he's calling all Metalkind to a glorious battle against Flesh, not to its destruction."  
"You're wasting your time," I say. "We'll never give you Sky."  
"It doesn't matter. The child is primed to activate upon exposure to the massed energy of Metalkind. When they come, they will be destroyed. She cannot stop it. And neither can you two."  
"Emma, eat her," the Doctor says. I pounce on her at once before she can flick the switch summoning the Metalkind. "How do we undo it?"  
"You can't," Miss Myers laughs. The Doctor uses her sonic to deactivate the machinery and destroying the work Miss Myers has done.

"Sky will still have her powers," I say. The Doctor nods, silently. There is no way we can deactivate Sky unless Miss Myers agrees. She wouldn't, which will be a problem. If I keep her alive, she will call the Metalkind, thus destroying Sky. Sky runs into the room followed by the others.  
"I thought we told you to stay outside!" The Doctor yells.  
"Sky thought you might need some help," Clyde points out.  
"We can't convince Miss Myers to deactivate you," I whisper. "If we let her go, she will summon the Metalkind to Earth."  
"Sky will fulfil her destiny whether she likes it or not!" Miss Myers yells. She is reaching for the keyboard.  
"You're wasting your time," the Doctor smiles. "I've undone all of your work. Clyde, Rani, shut down the nuclear reactor. Sky, use your powers. We might be able to deactivate you this way." Sky begins using her powers, electricity building up around her.  
"How do we shut it down?" Clyde asks.

"Richard of York gave battle in vain," the Doctor replies.  
"What?" Clyde asks.  
"Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. Hurry up!"  
"The Metalkind are coming through!" Sky yells.  
"But I deactivated what Miss Myers did."  
"That doesn't matter; they found a way here."  
"Hurry up!" I yell.

"It's too late!" Sky calls back. "They're coming. They're here!" Sky throws her arm out as if to stop the Metalkind coming through. Clyde and Rani have only one colour left.  
"The end is nigh!" Miss Myers yells.  
"No, Sky!" I scream. Just before Sky uses her powers, Clyde and Rani shut down the reactor core.  
"We did it!" Rani cries. "We shut down the core!" Sky screams, absorbing the energy from the portal that opened up in the room, collapsing to the ground. I gather her up in my arms. Jessica, Alistair and the Doctor kneel beside us. Alistair checks for a pulse.  
"She's alive," he smiles. "We saved her."

"Wow!" Sky exclaims, sitting up.  
"Are you all right?" Jessica asks.  
"You should know that answer since you can see the future."  
"You feel different?"  
"She is different," Miss Myers agrees as the Metalkind stomps through. "That energy backlash, it destroyed your genetic coding, you no longer react to the Metalkind."  
"You mean, I'm not a weapon?"  
"Not even a peashooter. I've lost my daughter."  
"And Mum and Mummy gained another daughter," Sky agrees. She turns to us. "You all saved me; I'm not a bomb anymore. Thank you."  
"Group hug!" Clyde exclaims, pulling us in. The Metalkind grabs Miss Myers.

"I have saved some energy for you, Fleshkind." It turns to me. "About the 456…"  
"What about it?" I ask.  
"I will talk to my species. We will help you if we can."  
"Thank you," I smile. The Metalkind drags Miss Myers through the portal, shutting it off. The workers begin to come around. "Come on, everyone; let's go home."

When we arrive back at Child's Torchwood, the parents are there. Suzie pulls Shyla into a hug before explaining to me that she and Shyla are thinking of moving to Alaska. "We'll make sure to set up a Child's Torchwood there," Shyla says before I can ask her if she will.

I lead Sky into Child's Torchwood along with everyone else. Suzie and Shyla stay outside. "I want to make sure that you were not harmed by the energy backlash," I explain. Sky nods.  
"Hey, Emma," Jack grins. "This person was waiting for you, do you know him?"  
"Now then, Emma, how on earth can you run a team of children when you are still a child yourself?"  
"How did you get in here?" I ask. "The whole base is inaccessible except for Torchwood and Child's Torchwood."  
"I'm afraid the Captain considers that to be privileged information," the man replies. He is wearing an entirely red outfit including a red fez. I feel a little underdressed standing with him. I'm not going to ask if anyone else feels the same.  
"The Captain?" Rani asks.  
"The bird?" Sky asks.  
"Yes, the bird is in charge," the man agrees. "Things are seldom quite what they seem, young lady. And my, haven't you grown?"  
"What?" I ask. "It was you! You brought Sky here."  
"And might I say, what a perfect name for such an ideal child, young Sky."  
"Who are you?" The Doctor asks.  
"Consider us servants of the universe."  
"What does that mean?"  
"Sometimes, things can't be left to chance. Sometimes, a breeze must blow from east to west, not north to south. Sometimes, the sky should be blue, not laden with clouds. And sometimes… a child must find her way home, which is my task, Doctor. To put things in the right place. And of all the homes in the universe, of all the potential parents, I could find none safer or kinder for this child than Emma's."  
"But who are you?" I ask.  
"All in good time," he replies.

"So, have you come back for me?" Sky asks, quietly.  
"Well, that depends on you. You can go anywhere you like." Sky thinks about it for a moment. She turns to us.  
"Mummy, can I stay here with you? That's what I want."  
"Oh, Sky, it's only been three days, and I feel like I've known you since you were a baby. Yes, this is your home, for as long as you want it to be." Sky pulls me, Jessica, Alistair and the Doctor into a hug.  
"Well, that's that, then," the man says. "Jolly good." The parrot climbs onto his hand. "Until the next time." They disappear.  
"Oh, no, wait!" I exclaim, a bit too late.

"Who was he, then?" Sky asks. Alistair looks very confused.  
"We must meet him after the 456 as I can't see anything beyond it," Jessica explains. "Speaking of which, Mummy, there's a call about to come through in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." My mobile rings. "Told you."  
"Who is it?"  
"Now, that would ruin it, wouldn't it?" I answer it.

"Hello?"  
"Is that Emma Smith-White I am talking to?" A metallic voice asks.  
"Yes, who is this?"  
"This is the Metalkind."  
"Oh, I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon!"  
"Thanks to you and your friends; we have peacefully ended the war after Myer's death."  
"I'm glad to hear of it."  
"We also heard of your plight against the 456 and are willing to help in any way possible."  
"Thank you."  
"We will offer armies if you need them. The 456 produce a poison that is toxic to humans but harmless to the Metalkind. If you need us to confront them at any time, we will be more than happy to go into the front line."  
"Thank you for that information; we weren't sure what the 456 could do."  
"Earth had yielded to them in the past for a cure of a flu epidemic."  
"When?"  
"1965."  
"Who was part of it?"  
"I don't know. I reached out to Kudlak who is still searching for people who will help. You have until summer 2009."  
"Yes, Jessica said."  
"You need as many allies possible." He ends the call.

"Who was that?" Sky asks.  
"That was the Metalkind offering their services to us when we face the 456."  
"What's the 456?"  
"Jessica, do you think you can fill Sky in while I order pizza?"  
"Sure," Jessica smiles, who begins explaining to Sky what we know.


	10. Something Borrowed

As we talk to Jack about the most recent victim Owen found, Martha Jones, one of the Doctor's companions, arrives at Torchwood. Jack has forbidden the adults to take us back to London unless I command it, so that leaves me with more power than the adults. Suzie and Shyla have moved to Alaska.

More aliens are getting in touch about the 456 every day. After the Metalkind calling me yesterday, Kudlak sent me an email (how he got it I've got no idea) and emailed me the species so far that are coming to our aid. 'Some of them are already on their way. They should get to Earth by December 2008'. The Shadow Proclamation are sending Judoon; the Qetesh are increasing taxes and starting Child's Torchwood on their home planet, teaching them about us, Earth and the 456. They too are willing to help. He also contacted the Blathereen from Raxacoricofallapatorious, the same world as the Slitheen, who are already combatting the 456. They are giving us any information we need to fight them.

Martha visits Child's Torchwood and explains how the victims are turning up, and UNIT is looking into it. "The Brigadier is coming as well," she adds. "He wants to investigate Child's Torchwood."  
"He can investigate all he likes," I grin.  
"I identified a pattern from UNIT's data on sudden deaths," Martha explains as we head to the autopsy room in Torchwood. We all gather round as Owen and Martha examine the body of Meridith Roberts. "Toxic shock, nothing to link the victims. Different ages, sexes, ethnic origins, occupations, but there was a statistically significant concentration in South Wales."  
"Come on, Martha, be honest," Jack says. "You just came all this way to see me."  
"Still struggling to conquer your shyness, Jack?" Martha teases. Everyone in Child's Torchwood chuckles. The lights flicker.

"Okay, maybe Sparky's not lost her spark," Clyde says.  
"What do you mean?" Sky asks.  
"You've made the lights flicker; I think that's obvious you can still influence electricity to some degree."  
"What do you mean about Sky?" Martha asks, curious as the door opens and the Brigadier walks through, admiring the interior structure.  
"Ah, I see you're still here, Emma," he smiles. "Well, Doctor Jones, what about the pattern we found?"  
"All of these deaths are being written off either as accidents or suicides. Look. Puncture mark. Hypodermic needle. You'll find his bloodstream was pumped full of ammonium hydroxide."  
"Yeah, bloodstream," Owen agrees. "That was the thing I was going to do next."  
"Have you checked his medical records?" The Brigadier asks.  
"No, I was just about to."  
"Well, Doctor Jones, let's give it a go," Tosh explains that there's been a major crash on the NHS system, wiped a shedload of files.

"Including all of the victims flagged up by UNIT?" I ask. "And now, Torchwood's." I invite the Brigadier into Child's Torchwood and introduce him to the team. Jack asks us to find a case Child's Torchwood can work on without Torchwood having to get involved. I take the Brigadier on a tour of Child's Torchwood before we begin researching another body that matches what is happening with Torchwood, and a survivor. I alert Jack and the others, and they inform us of Reset that the survivor who died in the hospital, Marie, told them about. She was given it at the Pharm.

The next morning, Owen walks in. "Guys, there's something I have to tell you. Last night, Martha went into the Pharm."  
"Good God, is she all right?" The Brigadier asks.  
"She's fine; she's alive. The only problem is, I'm not."  
"What are you talking about?" Sky asks.  
"You see, Sky, I'm dead. Doctor Copley shot me." He shows us his gunshot wound. Owen explains what happened. "Everyone at Torchwood thinks I'm fine after coming from death and back. There's nothing beyond this life, just darkness."

"Will you lot be at Gwen's wedding?"  
"What makes you think we won't be?" I ask. "I'm in command of this branch of Child's Torchwood, and Jack told me that until us children are ready to go back home, we can't allow the adults to leave Cardiff." Owen snorts.

The next morning, we are going to meet Gwen at the hotel for her wedding when she calls us from the hotel. The night before, she was chasing a Nostrovite, it bit her, and now she is pregnant. Gwen is worried about what to do as she told her parents that she was pregnant and can't tell them she lost a baby as they'd be devastated.

Jack tells us to stay out of the wedding as he wants us all safe. "Maybe find a case of your own?" He suggests before Torchwood leaves. I am close to swearing. Why is Jack like this? We wanted to go to the wedding, too. I decide we are going whether they want us there or not. I climb into the car, get everyone in, and we drive off to find the hotel. Ianto is outside, jamming the phone signals, explaining to us that a Nostrovite is inside, killed someone and one of Gwen's bridesmaids yelled at people calling the police. I agree that jamming the phone signals were a good idea. It's not long before Jack calls Ianto back into the hotel, and he tells us to stay with the cars.

Eventually, I leave to talk to Jack, only to find the Nostrovite coming straight for us. We keep Sky to the middle of the group and aim our guns. The Nostrovite sniffs us, curious. I aim my gun at its head as it continues sniffing. The Doctor walks over, pointing her sonic. "Leave them alone," she growls. "I mean it." The Nostrovite, apparently had enough of us, runs off. We all relax.  
"Thanks, Doctor," I smile.  
"Well, I couldn't miss this. Where's it gone?"  
"How should I know?"  
"It's trying to find Gwen," Alistair says. "We can go after it. Come on!" We run into the stable and fire out guns, the Doctor pointing her sonic.

"I think Gwen's had enough of you," she says, pushing the Nostrovite down. She aims her sonic again, and the Nostrovite disappeared. She looks up at the happy couple. "All sorted?"  
"Yeah," Rhys agrees. "I've used the Singularity Scalpel."  
"Impressive," Jessica smiles. "Not even Owen could get it to work."  
"Well, second time lucky." The Doctor walks over, placing Gwen's hand in Rhys'.  
"The hero always gets the girl," she explains before walking back over to us. We head into the ceremony with Torchwood, staying silent as Gwen and Rhys say their vows and applauding them at the end.

We leave before the party is over since we are kids after all. Torchwood stays behind to clear up. "That was a nice wedding," Alistair smiles.  
"Didn't like the Nostrovite, though," Rani says.  
"No," I laugh, driving to the car park. "As to why it was sniffing at us and not attacking-"  
"Yeah, I don't get that," the Doctor agrees.  
"Well, we helped save the world again," Clyde grins as I park.  
"Come on, you lot. You need some sleep."

"When are we going back to London?" Haresh asks.  
"When I say," I reply.


	11. Fragments and Exit Wounds

Jack has finally allowed Child's Torchwood to join them on an adventure. I have left Mum running the building, but I would not authorise her to let any of the adults go unless I tell them to. We take the two cars, Torchwood and Child's Torchwood. Ianto calls Gwen, telling her where we are as we climb out of the vehicles. There are several signs of life within two abandoned houses, all of them non-human. Torchwood checks out the first building while we check out the second one.

"Should we split up?" Clyde asks. I look at Jessica. She nods.  
"I can't see anything dangerous yet. We'll cover more ground."  
"Clyde, Rani, Maria, check the upper floors," I tell them. "If you see any creatures, fire at them if need be." Luke and Alistair go in one direction on the ground floor while Jessica and Sky stay with me. "Okay?" I ask them. The two girls nod. "Go!" We split up, heading towards different sections of the building. "You know, these creatures are very quiet."  
"They could be sleeping," Clyde suggests, hopefully. "It will save another brutal encounter."  
"Or hatching," Luke interrupts.  
"Do you have to ruin everything?"  
"Sorry." I hear a beeping coming from the floor. I go to investigate.

"Or maybe they are not creatures at all," I interrupt their friendly bantering. I am faced with a bomb, counting down.  
"They're explosive devices," Clyde says.  
"Sky, can you disable them?"  
"No, I don't have enough time."  
"Snap," Alistair says. The building blows up.

_Seven years earlier_

Luke and I are in the garden of the manor house in Moreton Harward, a charming village in Gloucestershire. We are visiting our Great-Aunt Lavinia, who is sitting with us. Mummy is out talking to Juno Baker, one of her friends. I look up from our game, noticing a strange man. He has a pile of notes with him. I want to ask Great-Aunt Lavinia if she recognises him, but she is busy playing with Luke as Mum walks out with a tray of lemonade. I think about asking her, but I am unsure. It must be time that I do a little investigating.

The man looks up from his pile of notes. "Who are you?" I ask.  
"My name is Philip Harris; I admire your Great-Aunt's work."  
"Yes, she is a fantastic woman." I analyse him, trying to figure out if he can be a threat or not. His eyes are cold from numerous times he had to harden his heart. I ask to look at his notes, at which he begins packing up, accidentally letting go of a few of his sheets. I stuff them up my jacket, pretending to have not seen them.

When I get back to the group, I begin reading them. Alarmed, I show them to Mum and Mummy. Mum starts shaking. "We can't stay here anymore," is all she says before heading back inside. She calls someone on the phone. "Yes, Moreton Harward, this is Ruby White. Hello, Captain. We have a problem. We need you to look after our children." I look at Luke, worried. He holds my hand. We wander off to the other end of the garden.

"You've done nothing wrong, Emma."  
"I stole from him."  
"But still you could have saved our parents." I nod, thinking about it.

Maybe I have done a good thing.

Mum comes back, telling us that we have to go. We say goodbye to Great-Aunt Lavinia and leave.

While we are on the road, a group of octopus-like creatures attack the car. "Keep driving!" Mum yells.  
"I'm trying my best!" Mummy cries back. Luke and I whimper in our car seats.  
"We'll be fine," Mum tells us, looking back. The windows smash. Mum ducks down. Mummy stops the car in fright. The back windows shatter. Glass is everywhere. I think some has cut me. We'll have to go to the hospital later.

A scream. Luke's scream. I turn. He's no longer beside me. One of the octopus beings hold him up like a trophy, and they are gone as quickly as they came.

"Hello?" Haresh calls. "Can anyone hear us?" Slowly, I open my eyes to complete darkness. My way out is blocked by rubble. "Jack, what happened?"  
"Bombs," Jack replies. "I hope no one got killed. Tosh, Owen, wait outside. If anyone comes near, turn them away."  
"On it," Owen agrees as he and Tosh leave.

I can see something now. A boot is in front of me. I grab it, hoping they will feel my hand on their boot. "What the?" Mum begins. "Hello, can you hear me?" I wave my hand, yes, I've heard her. "Are you okay? No, stupid question, of course, you're not. I'm going to lift the rubble; I'll be as quick as I can."  
"I've found Jessica and Sky," Gwen calls. "We're looking for everyone else."  
"I've got Luke and Alistair," Ianto says. "They've gone to find Maria, Clyde and Rani. Who is that there?" Mum lifts the rubble and throwing it to the side.

"Are you all right?" Mum asks, trying to help me up.  
"My legs are trapped," I whisper.  
"I'm going to get you out," Mum begins to dig me out.  
"I can't feel my legs."  
"It will be fine, Emma." Mum gets me out and helps me stand. I fall, my legs too weak to hold me up. Mum grabs me, worried. She carries me in both arms as everyone exits the building.

"What's happened to the Torchwood SUV?" Jack asks. We all look around. Jack's thing begins bleeping. He opens it and plays a message of a man I've never seen before.  
"Oh, déjà vu. Or did I say that already? Hey, team. Of course, there might be a few less of you by now."  
"I'll take Torchwood," Rhys offers. "Child's Torchwood, take the parents and head back to the Hub." I nod and call everyone together. I can't drive now.  
"We have to go to the hospital," Mum says. She climbs into the driver's seat, and we set off for the hospital.

I am in St Helen's Hospital, where the doctors are trying to sort out my legs. "They were badly crushed," the nurse says to me when I wake up. "The doctors did everything they could, but you might not be able to walk again."  
"What?! What's the use of me being the leader of Child's Torchwood if I can't run anywhere?" The nurse leaves to get me a sandwich when the power stops. Clyde gets out several torches and passes them around the staff so they can see what they are doing.

I can hear Torchwood over the comms as Owen makes his way over to the power plant to stop a meltdown. "We have to go," I tell the team. "We can't stay here."  
"You can't leave either," Rani points out. "The doctors said-"  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I jump up, finding that my legs are working. "Come on; keep up." We start running out of the hospital, or rather, I am limping. My legs are still healing. Mum picks me up, carrying me to the car.

"NOT LIKE THIS!" Owen screams over the comms.  
"Owen, what's happened?!" I yell.  
"I'm trapped in the plant, a meltdown is going to occur in the room I'm in."  
"Tosh, what about you?"  
"I'm fine," Tosh whispers.  
"No, you're not. What happened?"  
"Gray, Jack's brother, shot me. It's fatal." I stop short, tears rolling down my face.  
"Tosh, I'm so sorry," Owen whispers. "I don't want you to go through this." I check my scanner.

"There's a way to save you both. Mum, get to Owen, teleport in there, get him out. I'll drive over to Torchwood and help Tosh. I'm the closest thing she'll get for a doctor in time. Come on! We don't have much time." Mum dumps me in the driver's seat before teleporting into the plant.

"Toshiko?!" I call, running into the autopsy room. "TOSHIKO! MUMMY, I NEED HELP DOWN HERE!" Mum teleports in without Owen.  
"There was only enough power to take one person," she whispers, tears in her eyes as she helps Tosh, trying to get the bullet out of her body. "Owen said that he already died once, so I should go." Tosh looks up at me as Mum gives her a painkiller. I check her heartbeat.

I start crying, my world tumbling down. I was never close to Tosh, but I always took her advice, especially when it came to machinery. Until Gwen came, she and Jack were the only friends I had. But not to have only lost Tosh, but Owen as well…

Tears fall down my face as I sob, holding Toshiko Sato's hand. "Toshiko?" Jack calls, running through. I look up at him.  
"We couldn't save her. We lost Owen as well." Jack looks lost. He joins me, pulling me into a hug. Another man, who later introduces himself as Captain John Hart, arrives. He follows us into Child's Torchwood and asks if we need an extra member. "We're always looking for new members, John."  
"You can send me wherever you like; I don't mind where it is." I nod, asking him to stay in Cardiff and keep an eye on Torchwood.  
"We're going to need someone who can help them," I tell him, gently.  
"Tosh and Owen were your friends, weren't they?" I nod, sadly. The pain is still too raw for me to talk about right now.

Two weeks later

"Are you sure you want to go?" Jack asks. I nod, sadly.  
"John is in charge of the base here. I told him to help as many children as possible."  
"Okay. Emma, you can't run away from your feelings all the time." I turn to leave.  
"I'm not running away. I'm fighting." We leave that night.


	12. The Stolen Earth and Journey's End

It is a typical Saturday at eight in the morning. Clyde, Rani and Maria are away since it is Easter, so it is just my family and me. Suddenly, the sky turns black. We are thrown around the room like dolls. "Luke? Emma? Ruby? Is everyone all right?" Mummy pulls herself up after landing in the library, running towards Luke, helping him up. Mum helps me.  
"That felt like some sort of cross-dimensional spatial transference," Luke says as we look out of the window before Mummy calls out Mr Smith.  
"I wish you would stop giving us that fanfare and tell us what's going on," Mum growls.  
"Sarah Jane, Ruby, I think you should look outside. I think you'll find the visual evidence most conclusive." As Mum, Mummy and Luke run outside, I go to check on Jessica, Alistair and Sky. Thankfully, they are all right. Luke calls Maria, Clyde and Rani, telling them to stay indoors and keep quiet. I glance out of the window to find twenty-six planets in the sky.  
"Jessica, do you know what's going on?"  
"We need to close all of the blinds and curtains," Jessica begins closing them, and we go around the house, making sure no light can get out.

"It's the Daleks," Alistair warns. "I can hear their thoughts."  
"There must be an artificial atmospheric shell since the Earth lost its natural one," Sky says. "Otherwise we would have lost all of our oxygen and heat. We would have been dead within 90 seconds. That hasn't happened, so the Daleks must want us alive." We run up to the attic to explain to Mum, Mummy and Luke what we know. Mum points out the spaceship, a red dot on Mr Smith's screen, and we look at each other, worried. Spaceships are heading towards Earth.

"I'm receiving a communication from the Earthbound ships. They have a message for the human race," Mr Smith informs us.  
"Put it through," Mum tells him. "Let's hear it."  
"Exterminate!" At the first word, both Mum and Mummy grow tense.  
"Oh, no!" Sky whispers. "Can we stop them?" I pull my children into a hug.  
"There's nothing we can do."  
"But Child's Torchwood was made to combat-"  
"Sky!" Jessica interrupts. "If we say that we will fight back, we will all be killed. Do you want that?"  
"No."  
"Then we need to stay quiet." Mum and Mummy pull us all into hugs, whispering that we are too young to go through this.

When the Daleks land, I check out of the window. "There are no Daleks on our street; we should be safe if we stay quiet." I head back to the group.  
"Emma, the children!" Luke yells. I turn on my communications device.  
"Everyone, this is Emma Smith-White. If the Daleks are not near you, find a safe route to your nearest Child's Torchwood base if you are outside or find your way home. For those who have Daleks near them, don't come out of your homes, hide somewhere the Daleks won't think to look. Don't fight them. Stay indoors, stay quiet and keep all lights off." I turn the device off.

"This is the Commander General of the United Nations calling the Dalek fleet," a man says. "We surrender, repeat, we surrender. Planet Earth surrenders." We sit on the step in the attic, hopeless. There is nothing more we can do. Suddenly, a Subwave Network opens with someone trying to contact us.  
"Can anyone hear me?" A woman asks.  
"Hang on, that's the former prime minister, Harriet Jones!" I exclaim. "Mr Smith put it through!"  
"The whole world's crying out," I can hear Jack. "Just leave it."  
"Captain Jack Harkness, shame on you! Now stand to attention, Sir! Thank goodness Emma has more sense than you. Hello, Emma."  
"Hello, Miss Jones," I smile.  
"I trust you told everyone in Child's Torchwood to avoid the Daleks?"  
"Yes, I hope it has worked."  
"Do you have a base in Albuquerque?"  
"No, we haven't."  
"Then can I propose a new mission for you to complete in the New Year? Set up a base there. Take as long as you need." I nod. "You will have help, of course, from a Jodie Smith. You know her as the Doctor. Right, let's see if we can talk to each other." Harriet splits the screen into four sections, and we can see her and Torchwood. "The fourth contact is having some trouble getting through. I'll boost the signal."  
"Hello?" Martha asks. I never met Martha, but at least I recognise her. Martha explains her journey from Manhatten back to her home using Project Indigo.  
"There's someone else we need to contact, or at least, two other people." The screen splits again, displaying another teenager. "Everyone, this is Dorothy Gale, also known as Ace. She travelled with the Doctor in the 1980s, and has remained stuck as a teenager ever since."  
"I have applied to Child's Torchwood," Ace explains. "At last, my chemistry skills are coming to good use."  
"We're glad to have you on the team, Ace," I grin.  
"I have also set up a charity, A Charitable Earth, within Child's Torchwood, of course, helping orphans and troubled children." On the other section is an old man.  
"Brigadier!" Mummy cries. "I've never been so relieved to see anyone!"  
"Well, Sarah Jane, I had to help out in light of our current circumstances," Martha asks if the Daleks can hear us before Harriet explains that the Subwave Network can't be detected. Martha produces the Osterhargen Key, which makes Harriet angry.

"That key is not to be used, Doctor Jones. Not under any circumstances. Forget about the key. All we need is the Doctor." Martha explains that the Doctor has her phone on the TARDIS, but she can't get through. "As to which Doctor comes through is another matter. A Doctor is hearing it, but probably not the one you expect."  
"What do you mean?" I ask.  
"The Doctor's future fiancée would know which version is coming through."  
"Future fiancée?" Luke questions. "Who is that?"  
"I can't give out that information, Luke. If the child in question learns that before the Doctor can ask her, there would be terrible consequences throughout the universe."

"We can boost the signal," Jack explains. "We use all the power of the Rift to transmit that telephone number."  
"And we've got Mr Smith!" Sky says. "He can link up with every telephone exchange on the Earth. He can get the whole world to call the same number at the same time! Billions of phones, calling out, all at once!"  
"Who's the kid?" Ace asks.  
"That's my daughter!" I exclaim.

"Sorry, hello, Ianto Jones. If we start transmitting, then the Subwave Network will become visible to the Daleks?"  
"Yes," Harriet confirms. "And they'll trace it back to me, but my life doesn't matter. Not if it saves the Earth."  
"Ma'am," Jack salutes.  
"Thank you, Captain. But there are people out there dying, on the streets. Now, enough of words. Let's begin!" We begin transmitting the telephone number so the Doctor can hear us. We are calling for help.

"Captain, I'm transferring the Subwave Network to Torchwood. You're in charge now. And tell the Doctor from me; he chose his companions well. It's been an honour." Harriet turns away from the computer as the Daleks enter her house. We lose connection with her when she dies.

Harriet's portion of the screen changes. "Who the hell are you?" Martha asks. It's the Doctor- my Doctor. She's found us.  
"Where the hell have you been?!" Jack yells. "Doctor, it's the Daleks!"  
"The Daleks are taking people to their spaceships!" I interrupt.  
"Emma! It's good to see you again. Last time I met you Sky arrived. Ace! It's great to see you." Mummy asks me if I can take Jessica, Alistair and Sky downstairs, which I agree.

A few minutes later, Mum and Mummy are running out of the attic. They are going to find the Doctor. I argue that I am going with them, but they tell me to stay in the house. "Jessica, Alistair and Sky need you, Emma," Mum tells me, sadly.  
"We love you," Mummy agrees. "Remember that. Go back up into the attic." When they leave, I notice they are crying.

"There's a Dalek closing in on us," I warn. "We have to fight it. Normal guns don't work. Mr Smith, what can you do?" We arm ourselves with sports bats.  
"I can produce a containment vortex which will render all of the Dalek's weapons useless." A blast sounds from downstairs. Sky screams before Alistair can cover her mouth. The Dalek enters the attic after blasting the door open. Mr Smith places a containment vortex over it. Sky gives him more power. Luke types in codes to stop the Dalek from escaping. The armour opens to reveal a squid.  
"I think you can stop," I report as the Dalek tries to call other Daleks. Mr Smith drops the Containment Vortex and blasts it into nothing.

"Cake?" I suggest. We dash out of the attic into the kitchen.

When we return to the attic, we can see Mum and Mummy on the screen. They made it to the Doctor, another version of the Doctor, safely. Martha, Jack and a few people I don't recognise are there. "The Dalek destroyers," Davros, the Dalek creator, exclaims. "How did you manage it?"  
"Like we would tell you," Alistair snaps.  
"I think they deserve to die on their home planet." Mr Smith's screen becomes normal.

We hear the whirring of the TARDIS as it comes into view. My Doctor pops her head out. "Ready to bash some more Daleks?"  
"I thought you'd never ask," Jessica laughs as we climb in.  
"Now, the Daleks we are going to can do anything they like with the TARDIS. We will have to go out and face them. Does anyone have a plan?"

"I can manipulate electricity," Sky says. "I might be able to start sending the planets back home if I have the right equipment."  
"Great idea," I grin before my smile falls. "But what about everyone else? We can't protect them."  
"I'm transmitting a message to Davros," the Doctor replies. "Emma, I have something important to ask you." We can see the Daleks, two Doctors, many of the Doctor's former companions.  
"Hang on," one Doctor says. "That's me in the future."  
"How am I a woman?" The other Doctor asks — the first one shrugs.

"Emma," the Doctor gets my attention again. She is holding a small, velvet-covered box. She gets down on one knee.  
"NO!" Davros yells. "I forbid you from going any further!" The Doctor doesn't listen, opening the box. Inside, is a silver ring with a blue diamond in the middle. "STOP HER!"  
"Emma Victoria Smith-White, the first time you met me, I knew you would go on to do great things. This is only the beginning. Please, Emma, will you marry me?" "  
"STOP!"  
"Yes," I whisper. The Doctor places the ring on my finger.  
"NO!" Davros and the Daleks disappear.

We arrive in the Crucible as the other two Doctors begin working at the Magnetron along with Donna and Sky, who boosts the system. Jessica and Alistair gather around to help them. One of the male Doctors notices my ring. "Emma, can I have a look at that ring?" He asks. I nod, presenting it to him. "That is the diamond of Midnight, a planet made of diamonds. This diamond, in particular, binds the wearer with whoever gave it to them. Therefore, hang on! This was always going to happen! The Time Lines were converging on this the entire time, the one event that the universe could have relied on the whole time. The Sisterhood of Kahn predicted you, the ring, all of this."  
"What's going on?" Mummy asks.  
"I think I'm engaged to your daughter."  
"YOU THINK?!" Mum roars.  
"I'm not entirely sure. I think so."  
"You are," I correct. "At least, a future version of you is."  
"Right. I turn into a woman. I forgot that."  
"Mum, Mummy, you're going to need to buy new doors. A Dalek busted the old ones."  
"Right," Mum agrees, calmly.

When we get back home, the female Doctor stays behind to talk to us. "It's a shame I couldn't see you bust that Dalek."  
"It was Mr Smith who busted the Dalek."  
"Right, okay. Aren't you going to set up the base in Albuquerque?"  
"I wish I weren't," I sigh.  
"You don't. The students in the school you were meant to go to already heard of Child's Torchwood and created their base. You don't have to worry about going." I smile. My GCSEs won't be affected at all.

"Roll on 456," Jessica mutters, darkly.  
"Jessica, what's going on?" I ask as Jessica just looks smug. "Alistair?"  
"Jessica, stop. Just, stop. Sometimes I wish I couldn't read your mind." Alistair is grimacing.


	13. The Last Sontaran

It is a Saturday morning before the end of the school term. We're breaking up for the summer next week. Clyde and Luke are preparing a project on the Battle of Waterloo using Mr Smith. I have talked to Mr Chandra as Mr Blakeman is retiring, and he agreed to put Jessica, Alistair and Sky into Year 7 in September. I am downstairs with Mum.  
"When will my hunger next strike?" I am near the stage of having to hunt again after a year.  
"It will be soon," Mum warns. "You need to be prepared to leave a few days beforehand to make sure you don't kill any of your friends. I have to do that sometimes if I leave it off for too long."  
"When do you go hunting? Do you go at night or something?"  
"It's very rare that I hunt these days. The only time I would hunt is if Sarah Jane isn't with me. I don't want her to see the monster that I am."  
"If she thought of you as a monster, she wouldn't have stayed with you. Have you told her what you are?"  
"All she knows is that I'm an alien, and I want it to stay that way."

Maria joins us on a visit to Goblin's Copse when she tells us about her Dad being offered a job in America. "America?" Luke repeats as we drive into the village. "But, that's over the other side of the world!"  
"At least it's not the other side of the universe," I point out. "Maria, it should be your choice."  
"I know, Dad is waiting for me to make a decision. They're offering him a job at the Head Office in Washington DC."  
"Washington? If you go, we've already got a base set up there. As soon as you make a decision, let me know, and if you decide to go, we can easily make arrangements."  
"You're acting very calm about this, Emma."  
"Maria, I want to give everyone choices in life. This is one for you to make. Don't let any of us influence you in any way."  
"What about the 456?"  
"The 456 is coming, whether you move or not."  
"Right. Thanks for that boost of confidence." We climb out of the car when we reach a radio telescope. I sniff the air, as does Mum.  
"We'll have to call UNIT," she warns. "There's a Sontaran here."  
"A what?" Maria asks.  
"Everyone, into the car," Mummy exclaims. We all climb back in.

"Hey, we can sort this," Clyde says.  
"No, we can't," I retort. "My parents are right; we should call UNIT. The Sontarans are bred for war, nothing else. They only have one thing on their mind- conquest. Drive!" Mummy begins driving away from the village as Mum calls UNIT.

The Brigadier calls us back, saying that the Sontaran has left Earth and only a couple of soldiers were killed in action. "Thank goodness you called us, Ruby."  
"No problem, Brigadier."  
"Now, you have to let me see Luke and Emma soon."  
"You will meet them, Brigadier," Mummy smiles.

When we arrive back on Bannerman Road, Alan is waiting for us. Chrissie is standing on the pavement beside him. "Maria!" She exclaims, running over the road as soon as the car pulls up. "Your dad has got a job in America, can't you believe it?"  
"Mum-"  
"You'll love it there, darling."  
"Mum-"  
"Of course, I will come and see you as much as possible."  
"I'm going to America." Chrissie hugs her, smiling. I have to go inside for a few minutes. Maria has become more of a sister than a friend to me.

Luke sits beside me on the bed. "Maria felt so much like a sister."  
"I know," I agree, quietly. "However, Maria wants to go to America, so we should respect her wishes." I look in the mirror to find a little girl aged around six staring back. She is in early Edwardian clothes and carrying a red balloon. I look closer in the mirror, trying to see if I can recognise her, but she's gone.

Suddenly, she's back again in the mirror. Maria hurries in. "I need to talk to you."  
"That's all right, Maria," I smile, offering her a seat. The girl watches. "What is it?"  
"Who is that girl in the mirror?"  
"I don't know. She's only in the mirror; we don't know if we can communicate with her."  
"Try writing," Luke suggests. I grab my phone and begin typing.

_Can you understand this?_

The little girl nods.

_Can you hear us?_

The girl shakes her head.  
"Anyway, Maria, I don't think that's what you wanted to talk to us about," I smile.  
"No, it wasn't," Maria agrees. "I've talked to my dad, and we've made a decision to not go to America. I only told Mum that to shut her up. I hope you will forgive me."  
"Of course, Maria," I smile. "You're our friend. If you ever need to talk, come and find us." Luke nods.  
"Thank you," Maria smiles, slowly standing up. "Emma, do you think you'll meet the Doctor again?"  
"I will, but I don't know when. I hope it's soon."


	14. Human Nature and the Family of Blood

The Doctor arrives to take me on a trip. It's not my Doctor, but he'll do. I check the photographs, and he is in his eleventh regeneration, tenth if you discount the war doctor, who I haven't met yet. I walk into the TARDIS with Jessica, Alistair and Sky to find another woman in there, Martha, if I remember rightly from the call we had on the Subwave Network. I ask the Doctor about it, who admits that he hasn't done that yet. We travel to another world in the 21st century, only for gas-like creatures to start chasing us. "Get down!" Jessica screams as we run into the TARDIS. We all duck, the beam of energy missing us all by inches. The Doctor shuts the door before running for the controls.  
"Did they see any of you?"  
"No," Alistair replies. "I don't think so; we were all too busy running."  
"Off we go!" The Doctor begins pressing buttons and pulling levers, only to find that the creatures are following us with stolen technology from the Time Agency. "They'll find us wherever we go, right across the universe. They'll never stop, which means we have to. Emma, Jessica, Alistair, Sky and I will have to take our real forms and place them in items that will have no meaning for us. Martha, do you trust me?"  
"Of course."  
"It all depends on you," Jessica tells her. "Wait, Mummy, Alistair, Sky and I don't need to hide."  
"You don't?" The Doctor asks.  
"No. Mummy can disguise her scent. I think Alistair, Sky and I can."  
"Try it," I prompt. Jessica, Alistair and Sky successfully cover their scents.  
"However, we have to focus when doing it," Alistair points out. "Jessica, I think we have to change." Jessica sighs, nodding. "Martha, Mummy, this all depends on you." I sniff the air.  
"You three still smell human," I point out.  
"Okay."  
"What does?" Martha asks. "What am I meant to do?"  
"Martha, take this watch," the Doctor says. "My life depends on it. This watch, Martha, this watch is me."  
"Right, I've got it. No, I haven't."  
"Please explain," I agree.

"Those creatures are hunters," Alistair explains. "They can sniff out anyone, and with the Doctor being a Time Lord, he's unique. They life spans are running out, and they haven't seen us, so we hide out, wait for them to die." The Doctor pulls down a Chameleon Arch and The Doctor uses it on himself.

**Two Months Later **

We are the Farrington School for Boys, where Alistair is enrolled. The Doctor is a teacher there. Martha is a maid. Jessica and Sky, although girls, have also been allowed into the school by the Headmaster, Mr Rocastle. I am also a student there, but I am allowed free range of the surrounding area of the school and the village.

I am walking along a track when I spot a little girl with a red balloon walking my way — the little girl from the mirror. "Good day," I greet.  
"Good day, Miss," the girl replies. "I've seen you walking into the village each day."  
"Yeah, a good walk always cheers me up."  
"Maybe I can accompany you on one of your walks sometime?"  
"Of course," I agree. "What's your name?"  
"Lucy Cartwright. What's yours?"  
"Emma Smith-White."  
"Where do I recognise that name? Anyway, I'd better be going. Goodbye."  
"Goodbye, and take care."

That evening is the evening of the dance. Jessica, Alistair and Sky settle down early, one of the matrons promising me that they will watch over them. I dress in my best clothes before heading into the village hall. I am standing off to the side when I see the little girl again. Smiling, I slowly approach her. "Hello, again."  
"Hello. You were the girl I saw walking home."  
"Yes, I was." I sit down beside her when she offers me a chair.  
"You seem nice," she focuses her gaze on the Doctor and Martha.  
"Do you know where you recognise my name from?"  
"No, not yet."

"You're not John Smith," Martha says. "You're called the Doctor. The man in your journal, he's real. He's you." A smile flitters across Lucy's face for a second.  
"Why are you here, Lucy?"  
"I'm sorry?" Lucy's attention is back on me.  
"Why are you here?" A man walks into the hall, knocking down the coat rack. One of the boys from the school and a maid follow him.

"You will be silent! All of you!" Lucy pushes me behind her.  
"Hey!" I exclaim.  
"Stay behind me."  
"Why?"  
"I said silence!"  
"Mr Clark? What's going on?" Mr Chambers asks, only for Mr Clark to vaporise him.  
"That's why," Lucy explains. I nod, keeping my mouth shut.  
"We asked for SILENCE!" The boy, Baines, yells. "Now, then. We have a few questions for Mr Smith."  
"No, better than that," Lucy pushes in, dragging me with her. "The teacher. He's the Doctor. I heard them talking."  
"You took human form," Baines laughs.  
"Of course I'm human," the Doctor exclaims. "I was born human, as were you, Baines! And Jenny, and you, Mr Clark. What is going on? This is madness!"  
"Ooh, and a human brain, too. Simple, thick and dull! What is the girl doing with us, Sister of Mine?"  
"I am protecting her; there is a bigger threat than us waiting for her." I am confused by Lucy's reply, but I dare not comment.

"But he's no good like this," Jenny says.  
"We need a Time Lord." Mr Clark agrees.  
"Easily done," Baines agrees. He holds a gun to the Doctor. "Change back."  
"I don't know what you mean."  
"Change back!"  
"I do not know…" Jenny grabs Martha, who screams. Jenny explains that Martha is his friend. Mr Clark aims his gun at one of the matrons at the school, the one the Doctor went to the dance with.  
"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor?" Baines questions. "Being human? Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this: Which one of them do you want us to kill?" I gasp in shock. "Maid or matron? Your friend or your lover? Your choice!"

"Make your decision, Mr Smith!" Jenny exclaims.  
"Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge," Baines suggests. Suddenly, panic and pandemonium fill the hall, and Martha grabs one of the guns, turning it on Baines.  
"One more move and I will shoot!"  
"Oh, the maid is full of fire!"  
"And you can shut up!" Martha fires at the roof before aiming it back at Baines.

"Careful, Son of Mine," Mr Clark warns him. "This is for all of you so that you can live forever."  
"Shoot you down." Baines aims his gun again.  
"Try it," Martha agrees. "We'll die together."  
"Would you pull the trigger? You look too scared."  
"Scared and holding a gun's a good combination! Want to risk it?" Mr Clark and Baines lower their guns. Martha tells the Doctor to get everyone out. However, it is the matron that acts. "Emma, go, now!" Lucy grabs my arm, stopping me from going.  
"Lucy, can you at least ease your grip a little? You're hurting." Lucy loosens her grip a little so she doesn't hurt me, but it's tight enough to remind me what will happen to me if I run. One of the scarecrows in the room grabs Martha, taking her gun away. Martha runs out of the building.

"Sister of Mine?" Baines asks. "The danger that poses the girl, what is it?"  
"There is a sex gas that will land soon. If I have sex with Emma, she will be unharmed. No one will die."  
"Are you willing to risk it, Sister? She's half Qetesh, half soul-stealer."  
"I've gained her trust, I think. None of us will die if we have her and her children on our side." Jenny and Baines lead the way to the academy.

"My children are there," I whisper.  
"You'd better hope that they will not go to battle," Baines says. "Sister of Mine, you're such a small little thing. Find a way in and spy on them. Recruit Emma's children as well. At all costs, protect Emma."  
"Come on, Emma." Lucy takes my hand, leading me away. After we are a little way away from the Family, I lead Lucy into my room where my children are sleeping. I turn the light on, waking them up.

"Mummy, the sex gas!" Jessica cries. "Lucy…?"  
"How do you know my name?"  
"I saw you, in the future. You become part of our family."  
"When?"  
"2013, I think. It could be sooner. Mummy, Lucy's lying."  
"How will I be related to you?"  
"You will be our sister," Alistair reveals. "Mummy's child."  
"What do you mean that she's lying?"  
"There's no sex gas," Jessica reveals. "She wanted to keep us out of the way of her 'family'. She wants to become part of our family."  
"Lucy, is this true?"  
"Yes," Lucy replies. "I haven't trusted my family for a while. I don't want anything to do with them. Please, Mummy. I want to be part of your family." Lucy is close to crying. I pull her into a hug, and she hugs me back.  
"Yes!" Alistair grins, as he and his sisters join the hug.

"Lucy, when you come home, we'll sort out some clothes for you from our time period," I say.  
"You're not from 1913? I always thought you were from the future from the way you dressed and-"  
"Hang on, what?"  
"I have a photograph of you all." She pulls it out of her coat to show us. We all stare at it in shock. It's definitely us, but why does she have it? Lucy puts the photograph away again.

"I need to go and find the Doctor's Time Lord Consciousness," she reminds us. I sigh, hoping that the moment could have lasted a little longer. "I'll come back, but stay up here, keep the lights off." She unlocks the door, heading out.  
"Should we follow her?" Sky asks. "Lucy could be in trouble."  
"She will be," Jessica contradicts. "Let's find her!" We run after Lucy, only to lose her. I sniff, finding her scent. She is in the courtyard.  
"I told you to stay upstairs!" Lucy exclaims as the Doctor tells the boys to put down their guns. Baines, who stands behind us, says to the fallen soldiers to reanimate, who follow the boys into the school. Lucy tells us to get out of the grounds, which we do, re-joining the Doctor in one of the houses.

"This house belonged to the Cartwrights," the matron explains.  
"Lucy," Alistair agrees. "Lucy was their child until the Daughter of Mine took her over." There is a knock at the door- one of the boys, Tim- and Lucy.  
"Hold it," Lucy commands, passing the watch over to the Doctor.  
"But you're one of the Family, why are you helping?"  
"They want to kill you. Emma and her siblings helped me to see differently." The Doctor opens the watch and asks Lucy if he smells like a Time Lord. Lucy sniffs.  
"You'll need to disguise yourself," she warns him. "I'll be waiting with the Family so as not to arouse their suspicions." The Doctor nods before Lucy leaves.

"Emma, don't get too attached to Lucy. She might have changed, but she's still a killer. Therefore, I will trap her in a mirror for a hundred years- for her, anyway- starting in 1913. She will emerge in around 2013; it could be earlier, it could be later. However, as it is 2008 for you, you will have five years to wait."  
"I'll tell Lucy I'll wait for her. A mother never gives up on her child."  
"Good girl. That scanner you have-"  
"I don't know where it came from or when I got it. All I know is-"  
"You can talk to her now. You couldn't speak to her before because a, you didn't know her, and b, you needed to know why I trapped Lucy in the mirror. Now, stay with Jessica, Alistair and Sky near the spacecraft, but don't come in." I nod, sadly. I wish I can help her.

We are on the field; hearing warning alarms wail as the Family of Blood run away from the spacecraft. Lucy spots us and runs in our direction, making it to us before the ship explodes. I kneel to Lucy's level so I can explain what will happen to her. Lucy nods, silently. "Lucy?" The Doctor asks. "You can choose what punishment your family members will have. Is that all right?"  
"Make sure they can never get out; that's all I ask." The Doctor nods, silently.

During the next few minutes, the Doctor never raises his voice as he wraps the Father of Blood in unbreakable chains forged in the heart of a dwarf star. Lucy locks the door that leaves him trapped down there. Lucy pushes her mother into a collapsing galaxy, imprisoning her there. Lucy places the mask on her brother, making him stand as a scarecrow, protecting the fields of England.

"Doctor, don't you think Lucy has suffered enough?" I ask. "She's changed sides."  
"I know," the Doctor agrees. "However, she is still a murderer. She'll be in the mirror a hundred years for her, five years for you. Remember, you can talk to her now, as can her siblings. The closer she comes for her release, the more Lucy can come out. On Christmas Eve 2013, Lucy will return, forever." He places Lucy in a mirror.

When I get back home, drying my eyes, I go to my mirror. Standing there is Lucy. "Hello, Lucy."  
"Hello, Mummy."  
"I've missed you, even though it's only been a few minutes since the Doctor trapped you in the mirror."  
"I missed talking to you."  
"Do you know when you can leave?"  
"The Shopkeeper said it would be at the end of the summer. Jessica, Alistair and Sky will return to their natural ages- physically, I mean. So will you and Luke."  
"Great, we'll have three babies in the house. I'll have to tell the headmaster that they can't go to school." Lucy nods. Another person, a man- the same man that brought Sky to me- appears in the mirror. I turn around, but he is only in the mirror.  
"I talked with the Doctor, and he is firm on letting Lucy out in 2013. However, Lucy will find her way home before then. I have made her immortal. She can also travel in time through the scanner I gave her, allowing her to go anywhere. However, once she leaves her mirror, she can never return."  
"I'll see you soon, Mummy," Lucy promises, teleporting out of the mirror. The mirror returns to normal.

I wait for Lucy, getting everything ready, but she doesn't turn up. Not even when the summer holidays end do I hear anything from her until the Doctor calls me.  
"Emma, did you let Lucy out early?"  
"No," I reply.  
"Well, I found her in my TARDIS. Can I drop her off?"  
"Sure," I agree. "I already told Mum and Mummy about Lucy so it should be fine."  
"Of course, when I will drop her off is another matter. Shall I pass you over?"  
"Yeah!"

"Hello?" Lucy asks.  
"Hello, Lucy."  
"Mummy! It's so good to hear from you. How are you? What was your most recent adventure?"  
"I'm very well, thank you, and I've come back from meeting you, I've not had any adventures since."  
"Daddy's saying that he'll take me with him on an adventure if I'm good."  
"That's wonderful, Lucy! Be a good girl for your dad, yeah?"  
"Yeah, I will. Talk to you soon, yeah?"  
"Yeah," I smile.  
"Wait, Mummy?"  
"Yes, Lucy?"  
"I don't think I want to come back. I still want to be part of your family, but-"  
"No one's going to force you to do anything."  
"I'll still call."  
"That's all I can ask."  
"Thanks for understanding. Bye."  
"Bye." I hang up, before heading into the attic to tell Jessica, Alistair and Sky what happened.


	15. The Mark of the Beserker

It is October, and I bury myself in my work. "Mummy, when is Lucy coming?" Sky asks.  
"I don't know," I sigh. I stare at my computer. Mum knocks on the door.  
"Emma, we need to get ready to go." I nod, packing up my laptop. Glancing in the mirror, I think about Lucy. As I am lost in my thoughts, a red balloon appears in the mirror. I turn to find Lucy in my room.  
"Lucy? What are you doing here?"  
"I changed my mind. I want to be part of your family." I pull Lucy into a hug as Jessica, Alistair and Sky run into the room.  
"How come we haven't returned to our natural ages?" Sky asks, confused.  
"It only works if you want to return to your natural ages."  
"I don't; I can be more helpful in this form. I also couldn't control my powers as a baby."  
"We want to stay these forms as well," Jessica and Alistair agree.  
"Well, it will look strange if the children look older than their mother."  
"Yes," all four of them agree. Alistair packs a bag to take to Clyde's.

"Lucy, you might have to borrow some of my old clothes." I begin pulling them out of a cardboard box I kept them in. Lucy kneels on the floor beside me as we start looking through them. "If you find anything you like, put them to one side, and we can try them on."  
"Sure." We are still sorting through the clothes when Mum knocks on the door a few minutes later.  
"Who's this?" She asks.  
"This is Lucy."  
"Oh, right. I'm Ruby, Emma's mum. Emma's talked about you quite a bit. She couldn't wait for you to join us."  
"Mum!"  
"You girls nearly ready?"  
"Nearly," Lucy replies.  
"Lucy, would you be all right with Sky or would you like to be with Emma?"  
"I want to be with Emma."  
"Okay. I'll let Rani and Haresh know." Mum heads downstairs.

"Mummy, who's Rani and Haresh?"  
"Rani's a good friend of mine. I can go to her when I need to; she always listens. Haresh is her father, and the head teacher at my school."  
"That's nice."  
"Well, if you want to be in the same year as your siblings, who are in Year 7, he'll be your headmaster, too."  
"Great." I grin at Lucy.  
"I'll talk to him over the weekend if you like."  
"I'll like that." We continue sorting through the clothes when Jessica and Sky walk in with their bags packed.

"You two ready to go?" I ask. The girls nod, smiling. "Now, remember not to wind Alan up."  
"We won't," Jessica smiles, pulling me into a hug. I hug her back, followed by Sky.  
"Have a good weekend."  
"We will," Sky promises. "Take care of Lucy."  
"Of course I will."  
"We've not thought about how we'll explain Lucy," Jessica realises.  
"How about the truth?" Alistair asks from the doorway.  
"How many people will believe that?" I ask. Alistair agrees that I have a point.  
"Why don't we say that she's a cousin of yours," Sky suggests. "She's lost her parents, had nowhere to go, so we took her in, and you adopted her."  
"And that is as close to the truth as we're going to get," I agree. "It sounds like the best plan we're going to get." Mummy already packed some overnight stuff, as had Mum. Mum gives me a spare key so I can get inside if need be.

Rani greets Lucy and me at the door when we have everything packed. "Who's this?" Haresh asks.  
"This is Lucy Cartwright, my cousin. Her parents died in a car crash a few days ago, and she had no one else she could turn to, so I've adopted her."  
"That is nice of you; I'm sorry for your loss."  
"My uncle was never in one place long enough to lick a stamp, and I never saw much of him when I was little."  
"Are you and Lucy around the same age?"  
"She's a couple of years younger."  
"Oh, right, of course. I keep on forgetting that you're eight. Why didn't Sarah Jane or Ruby adopt her?"  
"Jessica, Alistair and Sky were very persistent. I think they wanted another sister." Haresh chuckles.  
"What year is she in at school?"  
"I don't know; her uncle wouldn't say."  
"I'm sure I can easily catch up," Lucy agrees. "I love school."  
"Well, I've got some stuff you can do if you like," I tell her before setting some bits up at the table for her to do.

"I get why you're protecting Lucy," Rani says when we leave the room. Haresh is with us, so we don't disturb Lucy. "However, I think we all know you're not the best of liars. Where is she really from?"  
"1913. I couldn't just leave Lucy. She had a photograph of my children and me, so I think she could be my biological child. Mr Smith said that he'd scan her after the weekend."  
"You could have tried telling us the truth from the start."  
"I know, I'm sorry."  
"Why did you take her out of time?" Haresh asks. I begin telling them my story.

"Whoa, you've had quite an adventure," Haresh grins. "Poor Lucy, though." Rani found some menus before we head back through.  
"I've finished," Lucy calls out.  
"Whoa, those were the hardest in the book!" I check over her answers, realising she's worked them out correctly. Haresh stares at her in astonishment.  
"Lucy, did you ever go to school before?" He asks, carefully.  
"No. There was a school in the village, but it was for boys only. Farrington School for Boys. My brother, he was very good at science. He created these scarecrow things that obeyed his orders."  
"So Emma told us," Haresh agrees. "Who was your brother?"  
"It doesn't matter. The Doctor suspended him in time." Lucy begins drawing.  
"What about your parents?"  
"The Doctor and Emma are my parents; they always were."

"You were talking about your brother," Rani prompted.  
"The only brother I have is Alistair."  
"I don't think it was Alistair you were talking about."  
"Oh. Him. Right." Rani produces the menus.

"Chinese or pizza?"  
"What's wrong with my cooking exactly?"  
"Nothing, I just fancied a takeaway."  
"Just don't tell your mum. She goes away for the weekend, and suddenly you're in charge."  
"What do you want, Lucy?"  
"I don't know."  
"Rani, she is from 1913," I remind her. "They didn't have pizza or anything back then."  
"Oh, right."

"Chinese?" Rani asks.  
"You know I don't like Chinese," Haresh moans.  
"No. Please, let's have Chinese."  
"We'll have Chinese."

"What?" I exclaim at once.  
"Rani said we should have Chinese."  
"Yeah, but you don't like it."  
"Rani said we should have Chinese."  
"You're doing what I say," Rani realises. She pulls out a pendant from her pocket.  
"What is that?" Lucy demands.  
"It's a hamster."  
"No, it's not. It's a pendant of some kind. Pass it over here." Rani obeys. "Mummy, do you recognise it?"  
"No. Rani, where did you find it?"

"I found it at school. Jacob had it."  
"We need to find Jacob. Where would he be?"  
"I don't know."  
"Lucy, make sure that you don't use it. I'll go and hide it in your room, Rani. Make sure you don't use it again."  
"Okay." I run upstairs, hiding it in my suitcase. Rani goes to the door when the doorbell rings as Lucy begins packing up the books. I help her as Haresh consults the menu.  
"Shall I order margaritas?"  
"Yes," I agree. "Thanks," Rani asks for the pendant, saying she's going to get rid of it. I give it to her, hoping that she's telling the truth.

When she comes back, Rani says that she left it in the attic. We head upstairs to bed, talking about the adventures that we had so Lucy can understand the life we live a little better.

The next morning, Rani asks us if we can investigate where Jacob found the pendant, where the pipes at school are being put in. "Yeah," I agree. We head out, collecting Maria, Jessica and Sky on the way. Luke and Alistair meet us at school. Clyde isn't there; his dad turned up again. "Do you think Clyde will be fine?" I ask.  
"Come on, Emma, this is Clyde we're talking about!" Rani says. "I don't think there's anything here." We head back to Bannerman Road to find Clyde and his dad, Paul, in Mummy's driveway.  
"WHAT IS HE DOING HERE? Did you show him the attic?"  
"Yeah. Emma, I'm sorry."  
"Did he take anything that doesn't belong to him?"  
"Not that I know of."  
"Search him."  
"Hey, get off me!" Paul yells.

"I've got the pendant!" Rani hands it to me. I smile, thanking her. We all turn to Paul, wondering what to do. Luke says that we should lock him up until we can trust him. "The girl I ran off with to Germany, your Aunt, Clyde, is pregnant."  
"What?" Clyde asks.  
"That's why I ran away. I remembered what an awful dad I was to Clyde."  
"I needed you!"  
"You're not a kid anymore. You're cool. You don't need me."  
"You're right," Clyde realises. "I don't need you. I've got my friends, my Mum. So I don't need you, but I think that baby does. Please try not to mess it up again." Paul nods, hugging Clyde before walking around the corner, disappearing.

"What are we going to do with that pendant?" Clyde asks.  
"It's trouble," Rani says. "It controls others. We should get rid of it."  
"Shall we ask Mr Smith?" Jessica asks.  
"Other than the fact he's shut down," Alistair contradicts.  
"I've got this," I smile, dropping the pendant. I begin stamping on it, destroying the technology inside it forever.

"Ah, you've got it sorted," a familiar voice calls out. I turn.  
"Doctor!" I run into her arms, happy. "It's great to see you."  
"Oh, you silly girl," she chuckles.  
"I have a date for when the 456 will first contact the human race," Jessica interrupts.  
"When?"  
"1st July 2009."  
"That's a Wednesday," Clyde interrupts. "Everyone will be at school."  
"Not if we declare an international emergency that will close the schools."  
"The government will not issue such a thing," I argue.  
"Well, Emma, who says that it has to be the government?"

"You're going to do it?" Maria asks.  
"I've got friends I can contact," the Doctor explains. "So has Emma. If it is necessary, send out an SOS signal, but only as a last resort. Hopefully, it won't be needed, but the 456 are unpredictable." I nod before we all head off to the park.

"How are you settling in, Lucy?" The Doctor asks.  
"Quite well, I still don't understand a lot of things about this period."  
"Emma!" Haresh calls. "Emma, can I speak to you?"  
"Of course," I say. I tell the others I'll catch up with them before I head over to talk to Haresh. "What it is?"  
"Lucy's intelligence matches that of a Year 7. She can start school on Monday as we have a place in Jessica, Alistair and Sky's class."  
"Thank you, sir." I hurry up with the others to tell them what happened.


	16. The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith

Mr Smith is picking up a time anomaly in town, so we head out to locate it. "What's a time fissure?" Lucy asks.  
"It's like a crack in time," Mummy explains. "It connects one period to another. Sometimes, people wander through them and get lost; it does happen." As we walk over to the fissure, located in an abandoned clothes shop, a little boy runs out. Lucy, as she's still wearing her clothes from 1913, offers to talk to him.  
"I might be able to calm him down, explain to him where he is."  
"Be careful," I agree as Lucy walks over to him. I motion for the others to remain quiet. However, the little boy runs off before Lucy has the chance to talk to him. "Clyde, Rani, Maria, go after him. We can't afford to lose the little boy."  
"It's in here," Luke calls before the rest of us walk into the shop.

"We're staring into time," Lucy breathes. "How incredible is that?"  
"That poor boy we saw must have wandered through," Mummy agrees as Lucy steps forward. "Whoa, it might not be safe." Lucy steps back. "I'll use the converter to reduce the energy ratio, closing the gap, as soon as we send him home."  
"Like a time puncture repair kit?" Alistair suggests.  
"Something like that."

"We've found him," Rani calls as she, Maria and Clyde hurry in with the boy.  
"What's going on?" The boy asks.  
"Don't worry; everything's going to be all right."  
"What's your name?" Mum asks.  
"Oscar. Who are you lot? Where am I?"  
"Don't worry about that. You're going home." Mummy opens the time fissure.  
"Just step through, and you'll be back in your own time. There's nothing to be scared of."  
"Go through; I promise you'll be safe."  
"No," Oscar says. "I'm scared." Mummy passes the converter to me as she and Mum step through into another period. We wait patiently on the other side.

When they come back, Mummy is acting strangely. She closes up the time fissure before we head home. "What was on the other side?" Sky asks.  
"It's a village called Foxgrove, where Sarah was born," Mum explains. "According to Oscar, it's July 1951, when her parents were still alive."  
"What happened to them?"  
"They drove off in the car a month later, leaving me on the side of the road," Mummy explains. "Thankfully, I had Ruby to look after me. It's a miracle that I remember that far. Most people don't remember that much."  
"They don't, usually. You only remembered because of me."  
"Wouldn't have you been a kid?" Luke asks.  
"No," Ruby chuckles. "I was still a teenager like I was when my species exiled me to Earth."  
"You're an alien?" Maria asks.  
"I thought you would have worked that one out by now!" Mummy smiles.

Mum drives us back home rather than Mummy. "I remember that my parents loved me," Mummy smiles. "Do you think they would still love me if they knew about all this?"  
"Yes," Mum confirms. "They knew about this; I had to tell them."  
"How much did you tell them?"  
"Everything. I told your parents before you were born; I felt that they had a right to know."  
"Oscar was lying about when it was," Jessica pipes up. "It wasn't July 1951; it was August 1951."  
"What?!" Mummy cries.  
"No, Sarah, we can't turn around. History has to go as it did. What would happen if your parents survived? That shaped our lives."  
"Did they know? Ruby, it's important. Did they know that they had to die?"  
"Yes. I told Eddie and Barbara because they were worried about you." She parks in the driveway, and we climb out of the car. "Sarah, everything's going to be all right, I promise."

That night, I notice that Mummy is about to sneak out in clothes from 1951. We all corner her, saying that we're going with her. "Very well," she sighs. "Emma, I've got some clothes up in the attic you can borrow. Lucy, your clothes from 1913 are going to have to do." When we are ready, Mummy drives us back to the abandoned shop before all of us head through the time fissure.

"It feels lovely to smell the fresh, country air again," Lucy smiles, closing her eyes.  
"Now, we can't change anything," Mummy says. We begin heading down to the village, wondering where everyone is.  
"Look," I point. "Village fete."  
"Great spotting, Emma," Mum smiles as we make our way over. When we arrive in the field, we all laugh at our attempt to stepping back into history.

"Sarah Jane!" A female voice calls. We turn to find Barbara, cooing at her baby. She looks up, spotting us. We begin walking over to her. Mummy wants to talk to her. "Hello," she smiles. "Ah, Ruby, good to see you. When are you from?"  
"I'm sorry?" Mum's on her guard at once.  
"Surely you remember saying that you will return from the future? So, when are you from?"  
"2008."  
"Wow," she smiles. "Eddie! Eddie, over here!" He walks over, saying that he parked the car by the memorial. "Eddie, Ruby and some of her friends have come through from 2008."  
"I'll leave you two to talk," a younger version of Mum moves the pram out of the way, taking baby Mummy with her.

"I'm Eddie Smith."  
"I'm Ruby White."  
"Luke Smith-White."  
"Emma Smith-White, Luke's twin."  
"Oh, our grandchildren, Ruby did say. I feel honoured to meet you."  
"And it's an honour to meet you, too."  
"Please, Emma, call me Eddie. Who are these?"  
"This is Jessica, Alistair, Sky and Lucy, my children."  
"We're great grandparents?" Barbara asks, smiling. "How old are you in 2008?"  
"Eight," Luke and I chorus.  
"I know," Luke agrees. "Many people think that it's strange when we tell them our real ages."  
"What about Jessica, Alistair, Sky and Lucy?"  
"Jessica and Alistair are a year old. Sky is less than a year, and Lucy is, I think she's six, but I'm not sure."  
"Why don't you know?" Eddie asks.  
"I found her in 1913 when she was six. After that, she travelled in time and space for a bit before coming to 2008 about a week ago."

"Who are you?" Eddie asks, holding his hand out to Mummy.  
"Sarah Jane Smith."  
"You mean," he points over to a younger version of Mum and Mummy.  
"Yes, that's right."  
"Oh, look at you," Barbara smiles. "You're older than us!"  
"And you came all that way to see us," Eddie agrees, smiling. He asks Barbara if she could help out in the tent, and Mum and Mummy agree to help her.

"We were always planning on having more children," Eddie explains. "We didn't want our daughter growing up on her own, but when Ruby dropped the bombshell about our deaths, we decided to try and do what we can to make sure that she'd have a happy childhood."  
"That's a good plan," I agree.  
"So, what about you and the Doctor?"  
"I'm sorry?"  
"Ruby did say that in 2008 you would be together."  
"Oh, yes. Well, I don't think the government would approve. I'm only eight, and the Doctor's thousands of years old." Eddie chuckles. "But then, there isn't anything we can do to change her age or mine, so we're stuck with each other. So, we're waiting until I'm eighteen until we can marry."  
"Ah, smart move. Don't want the government to tear down Child's Torchwood before it's even begun."  
"No," I agree.  
"Anyway, have a look around. Don't let me spoil your day back in good old 1951."  
"It was lovely meeting you, Mr Smith."  
"It was nice meeting you, too." The others stay behind to talk to Mr Smith while I look around the village fete, smiling. Lucy's right, it's lovely here.

When we meet everyone back at the square, Luke shows us a newspaper- dated from August 1951. 18th August 1951. It's the day Eddie and Barbara die. Mummy disables the car with the sonic before we can stop her, commanding us to return to the fissure. When she's gone, Mum tells me to use my scanner to undo what Mummy has done. I agree. After all, saving Eddie and Barbara could have devastating consequences for the universe. History has to stay as it is.

When Mummy returns through the time fissure, she says that everything seems normal. I turn to Mum, wondering if we should tell her. Mum nods. "Mummy, when you left the car, I used my scanner to allow the engine to function. You said that if we change anything, it's dangerous. We had to protect the future."  
"Why did you do this?"  
"There's something I haven't told you," Mum says. "However, I'll save it until we reach the other side and you closed the time fissure for good." Mummy nods, defeated.

We head back through the time fissure to find Maria, Rani and Clyde waiting for us. "Thank goodness you're all right!" Rani smiles, pulling us all into a hug.  
"We were so worried about you. Rani had to get Mr Smith out and everything," Clyde agrees. Mummy closes the time fissure.

"Sarah Jane!" I hear Barbara calling when we burst out into the sunshine. We turn to find Eddie and Barbara outside a police box.  
"Mum? Dad? What are you doing here?"  
"This woman, the Doctor, saved us," she explains.  
"But she does seem a little bit… alien," Eddie finishes.  
"Yes, she is alien," Mummy agrees. The Doctor appears in the doorway. I run over to her, hugging her. Mummy smiles at the sight of us. "However, she loves Emma, and Emma loves her. The Doctor's our best friend as well, so we can trust her, no matter what face she has."  
"Yes, Ruby mentioned that," Eddie agrees.

"Anyway, I was only going to stop for a few minutes," the Doctor tells me. She spots our children, who walk over to us. "It's great to see you all."  
"It's great to see you too, Mum," Lucy agrees.  
"How are you settling in?"  
"Fine. I've started year 7, in all of the same classes as my siblings."  
"Well, maybe I should pop around one day after school so we can catch up. Would you like that?"  
"Yeah."  
"Emma, how have you got on with the 456?"  
"We have next to no information. They seem to be almost unknown to everyone."

"The 456?" Lucy asks. "I met them. I have a lot of information on them, including strategies to defeat them." We all stare at her, hopefully. "It will take until January for me to get all of the information on the system."  
"After that, we'll have a few months to prepare," Jessica smiles. "Lucy, you're a genius!" She pulls Lucy into a hug.  
"I'm going to need my own laptop, so I can record everything without someone else wanting to use it. I'll try and upload something to the system weekly and-"  
"Just don't push yourself," I remind her, gently. "Of course, any information you can give us will be useful, but don't push yourself to remember stuff, okay?" Lucy nods. That evening, I give her an old computer that one member was going to throw out because 'it wasn't cool enough', even though it did everything that you wanted. Lucy got to work straight away- I also had to remind her to turn her light out for a change.

That evening, I sit down with Eddie and Barbara to discuss their future. "We'll have to utilise whatever skills you already have," I explain.  
"I can work in a café, or something," Barbara offers.  
"In the next few months, Child's Torchwood will become very busy. We'll need someone like you on the team, Barbara."  
"Thank you, Emma. I can also try catching up with modern technology at the same time."  
"That will be useful."

"I don't think the job I did back in 1951 would be necessary, so I'll try out for a new occupation. Are you in need of teachers?"  
"You need a diploma for that," Luke points out. "Besides, the information you remember will be outdated."  
"I can teach people how to grow their own food."  
"That would be useful, because we might need that at some point," I think out loud.  
"Yeah, if we land on an alien planet."  
"It can happen, Luke!"  
"Alright," Luke nods. He turns back to Eddie and Barbara. "Emma will teach you how to use firearms, but we hope you never have to use them."  
"Do you always say that?" Eddie asks.  
"Yeah," I say. "And every time we say it, that person always ends up needing to use a gun."  
"Well, it would be on the safe hand to teach us." I nod, smiling. We'll start training them tomorrow.

That evening, John and Diane call me. John says that they employed all of the children from the Cromwell Estate. "The school they go to is part of the lowest 10% in the country, so I was wondering whether to employ some teachers and teach them in the base so they can start achieving better grades."  
"We don't have any teachers at the moment," I point out.  
"Ah, yes, good point." When John hangs up, Diane informs me that they employed nearly all of the children in Edinburgh and she is setting off to Canada to employ more children.


End file.
